WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Barack Obama announced the construction of a new US Coast Guard icebreaker to boost America’s force projection capabilities in the strategic Arctic Ocean region, the White House said.
"I'm announcing today… a proposal to accelerate the construction of at least one additional heavy icebreaker, and to work with Congress to make sure that we are producing a sufficient fleet to meet our economic… and national security needs [in the Arctic]," Obama stated at Seward Harbor, Alaska on Wednesday.
The Arctic region, Obama explained, was being transformed by global warming, which made its sea routes and mineral resources increasingly accessible.
"It's important that we are prepared… whether it's for national security reasons, whether it's for commercial reasons, that we have much greater capabilities than we currently have," Obama noted. "These icebreakers are examples of something that we need to get online now. They can’t wait."
"There’s a whole series of strategic implications — economic and national security — and one of the things that we have to think about is how do we maintain our capabilities when it comes to maritime issues and commerce," Obama said.
The United States currently only operates two icebreakers in the Arctic whereas Russia had 40 of them, with another 11 under construction.
