As the Arctic's Attractions Mount, Greenland is a Security Black Hole
On a windy August afternoon in 2017, Akitsinnguaq Ina Olsen was relaxing in the old harbor of Nuuk, Greenland's capital, when a Chinese icebreaker sailed unannounced into the Arctic island's territorial waters."I saw it by chance," Olsen, 50, told Reuters. "My first thought was: 'They're already here!' They're pretty cheeky, those Chinese."She pulled out her phone and took a picture of the 167-meter long Chinese icebreaker Xue Long (Snow Dragon), before it turned around and disappeared.The…
Coast Guard Searching for Missing Aircraft in GoM
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for an unresponsive aircraft that went missing in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 118 nautical miles north of the Yucatan Peninsula, Thursday. The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at the Eighth District command center in New Orleans received a report from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, Wednesday evening that one person aboard a privately owned Cirrus plane was unresponsive likely due to hypoxia. The pilot flew from Oklahoma City and was reportedly headed to Georgetown, Texas.
USCG Suspends Search for Downed Aircraft near Jamaica
The Coast Guard suspended their search Sunday at approximately 11 a.m. for two possible survivors of a plane in the water 14 miles north of Port Antonio, Jamaica, Friday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard 7th District command center in Miami received a call from U.S. Northern Command at 11 a.m. reporting that a Socata TBM 700 light business and utility single engine turboprop aircraft departed Rochester, New York at 8:26 a.m. with two people aboard who were reportedly unresponsive to radio calls. The plane was scheduled to arrive in Naples, Florida at noon, Friday. A Coast Guard C-130 aircrew was launched from Clearwater, Florida to help monitor the unresponsive aircraft. Two F-15 fighter jets under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command were launched to investigate.
Treadwell: Arctic Security Should Be National Priority
Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell delivered the keynote address yesterday at the Arctic Collaborative Workshop in Fairbanks. Treadwell discussed five reasons why Arctic national security should be a national priority: energy development and security, shipping opportunities and safety, assessing and mitigating changes in climate and fisheries, attaining land access and territorial claims, and promoting the Arctic’s strategic position for military cooperation. “We need to go to the Arctic with purpose,” Treadwell said.
Navy Welcomes William P. Lawrence to the Fleet
The Navy welcomed guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) into the fleet during a commissioning ceremony in Mobile, Ala., June 4. The newest Arleigh Burke-class ship, the 60th of its class, is named in honor of the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, a highly-decorated Naval aviator and Vietname prisoner of war. Lawrence began his naval career as an academic scholar and athlete at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he later returned to occupy the Chair of Naval Leadership after retiring from active duty, Feb. 1, 1986.
Senate Confirms Keating, Renuart to Key Commands
The U.S. Senate confirmed the nominees to the top posts at U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) during the March 19 session. The full Senate confirmed Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating as PACOM commander and Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., to receive his fourth star and to become commander of NORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command. Renuart, who currently serves as Gates' senior military assistant, will assume Keating's NORTHCOM post. In announcing both officers' nominations in February, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised them for establishing a record of accomplishments in a variety of complex and challenging assignments.
