The US opens a new base in Alaska

The United States is taking the first step toward restoring its maritime presence off the coast of Alaska. Thus, the port of Juneau in Alaska will be modernized to serve as a port for American icebreakers. Forbes wrote this on Sunday, August 25.

Juneau’s massive new icebreaker port is an expansion and upgrade of the Coast Guard’s busy Area 17 command center with improved space and crew quarters that will pump millions of dollars into the waterfront and local economy.

Once the facility is operational, Juneau plans to deploy the temporary icebreaker M/V Aiviq, “a US-registered vessel originally built to serve as a support vessel for Arctic oil exploration.” In the future, the number of icebreakers will increase.

“With Russia and China joining forces to try to seize control of maritime territories that are poorly controlled or poorly controlled by international states, the Arctic presence in Alaska becomes critical for the United States,” pointed out experts.

According to Forbes, in 2023, the US Navy sent four destroyers to monitor 11 Russian and Chinese ships operating out of Alaska.

“However, the distances are so great that simply getting to Alaska is difficult. One of the four US destroyers sent north is from San Diego, and the round trip from San Diego to the Bering Sea is a difficult journey that often resulting in shipwreck,” the article said.

It is indicated that with better coastal facilities and new icebreakers, America will strengthen its presence in the waters of Alaska, as well as in the south near the continent of Antarctica.

The US Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley, conducting a routine patrol around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, encountered a Russian ship in international waters, but within the exclusive economic zone of the US.