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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Norwegian fisherman caught a US submarine in his nets this week.</li><li>The USS Virginia's propellers got tangled in the nets, reports said, dragging them out to sea.</li></ul>A Norwegian fisherman made a surprising catch on Monday in the form of a US submarine.Harald Engen was delivering a catch of halibut to the village of Malangen, on Norway's west coast, when he got an unusual message, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/harald-fra-sommaroya-fikk-atomubat-i-kveitegarnene-1.17123634">Norwegian broadcaster NRK News reported</a>.He was told that the propellers of a submarine had become tangled in his nets and had dragged them two nautical miles — about 2.3 miles — out to sea, NRK reported.The 377-foot, nuclear-powered USS Virginia had been on its way from the port of Tromsø, the outlet reported, adding that a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel escorting it had to help cut it loose from the nets."I know about other vessels that have sailed over fishing nets, but no one out here have ever heard about a submarine doing so," Engen said, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/security/norwegian-fishermen-snagged-us-nuclearpowered-submarine/420357">the Barents Observer</a>.He told the outlet that he wasn't angry, and that the coast guard had been in touch about possible replacements.Lt. Pierson Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US 6th Fleet, confirmed basic details of the incident to BI but declined to confirm the name of the vessel.Nobody was hurt in the incident, he said, adding: "The investigation into the cause of the incident is still ongoing."Speaking on the matter of compensation, Hawkins said: "In general, when the US is responsible for damage to civilian equipment, there is a claims process to reimburse the expense."Norway's Armed Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Hawkins didn't outline what the submarine was doing off the coast of Norway, beyond the fact that it was leaving Tromsø."The US is an Arctic nation and has enduring security interest in the region," he said, adding that the 6th Fleet appreciates Norway's support to US submarine deployments "to deter and defend the increasingly complex security environment of the High North."There have been multiple US naval deployments in the waters in recent months amid increased cooperation between Norway and the US.In June, the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee and the cruiser USS Normandy were deployed to the Norwegian Sea in response to Russian maneuvers, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2024/us-navy-strategic-deployment-in-norwegian-sea-counters-russian-military-maneuvers">defense news site Army Recognition reported</a>.More recently, in October, Norway's armed forces <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forsvaret.no/en/news/articles/truman-nor-forces">announced</a> joint naval exercises running through to November with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group.The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales was also set to join, the announcement said.Two guided-missile destroyers from the group, the USS Jason Dunham and USS Stout, were sent on "routine maritime operations" to international waters in the Barents Sea, US Naval Forces Europe and Africa <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/News-Display/Article/3943702/truman-strike-group-destroyers-conduct-barents-sea-operations/">announced.</a>The Barents Sea, which is bordered by northern Norway and Russia, is considered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/hot-water-arctic-fisheries-proxy-geopolitical-tensions#:~:text=The%20Arctic%20today%20is%20playing,security%20relations%20in%20the%20Arctic.">a sensitive zone</a> for Russia.In September, US lawmakers expressed concerns about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-submarines-17-billion-over-budget-in-crisis-lawmaker-2024-9">delays and soaring costs</a> in building new vessels, including Virginia-class submarines, particularly in light of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senators-express-concern-over-low-attack-submarine-procurement-plan-2024-3">China's recent naval expansions</a>.The US Navy's Virginia-class submarine program is projected to run $17 billion over budget through 2030, Rep. Ken Calvert, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said.

A Norwegian fisherman accidentally caught a US submarine in his nets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Replenishment ships are essential to resupplying carrier groups at sea with fuel, food and bombs.</li><li>The US is overhauling its aging ships while China has built a dozen.</li></ul>Involved in nearly every crisis since World War II, aircraft carriers have been called upon to assure allies, deter enemies, and strike directly at hostile targets.Yet for all their importance, their missions would be impossible if not for the US Navy's unsung workhorses: replenishment ships.Replenishment ships loaded with food, fuel and bombs are the reason US carrier strike groups can stay at sea for months at a time. This capability is increasingly vital for the US Navy's chief competitor, China. With the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-shrinking-china-biggest-fleet-shipbuilding-taiwan-2024-4">largest navy in the world</a>, its lack of overseas military bases only makes the need for this capability greater.But replenishment ships also form the weakest link in the chain of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-vs-chinese-navy-aircraft-carriers-2024-5">American</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-more-to-learn-to-match-us-2024-5">Chinese carrier</a> groups. Often unarmed and full of explosive cargo, they are prime targets for any hostile force.<div type="image" title="USNS Supply is one of the two largest combat logistics ships in the US Navy's Military Sealift Command." height="1500" width="2100" msid="115143523" hostid="261" sizebytes="299192"></div><h2 id="3d01aa20-7b10-4f31-9c1e-4e4a0f3254e6">US replenishment ships</h2>The US Navy's Military Sealift Command's Combat Logistics Force (CLF) operates 17 fleet replenishment oilers, 14 dry cargo/ammunition ships, and two fast combat support ships.These ships are built to deliver wet cargo (mainly aviation and diesel fuel) and dry cargo like ordnance, food, and spare parts. Though US carriers are nuclear-powered, their escort ships still run on diesel, and their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/newest-us-navy-supercarrier-underway-with-all-airpower-first-time-2023-3">air wings</a> require aviation fuel.The most capable replenishment vessels in the CLF are the fast combat support ships of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2174658/">Supply-class</a>, the largest combat logistics ships in the MSC fleet.Equipped with four cargo booms for loading cargo, they are capable of carrying 156,000 barrels of fuel, 1,800 tons of ordnance, 400 tons of refrigerated store, and 250 tons of other dry cargo.<div type="image" title="Fleet replenishment oiler Henry J. Kaiser refuels a US warship via two hose lines suspended on a tensioned wire between the ships." height="1331" width="2000" msid="115143326" hostid="261" sizebytes="123714"></div>These ships have two primary means to transfer cargo: sling loads carried by helicopter or tensioned lines between the ships. They have five fuel-at-sea (FAS) stations that utilize long flexible refueling hoses that travel on the tensioned wire, and six replenishment at sea (RAS) stations that move supplies via the horizontal wire pulley systems on the tensioned line. In addition, the Supply-class ships have a helicopter hangar and deck with space for two helicopters at the stern, enabling helicopter transfer known as vertical replenishment, or VERTREP.The FAS/RAS stations, combined with aerial resupply, enable Supply-class vessels to replenish up to four ships at once. Only two Supply-class ships, the USNS Supply and USNS Arctic, remain in service.The backbone of the CLF's refueling fleet are the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.msc.usff.navy.mil/Ships/Ship-Inventory/Fleet-Replenishment-Oiler/">Henry J. Kaiser-class</a> fleet oilers. Built between 1984 and 1996, the ships are 677 feet long, displace around 41,000 tons, and can carry up to 159,000 barrels of fuel.The Kaisers can refuel two warships simultaneously. They lack a helicopter hangar, but have a deck at the stern where helicopters from nearby ships can sling-load pallets.Fourteen Kaisers are in active service with the MSC.Though effective for refueling, the Kaiser-class has limited space for dry cargo — only enough for 586 pallets, including frozen and chilled food. The Navy relies on 14 Lewis &amp; Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships to fill in the gap.The Lewis &amp; Clark-class ships can carry a massive 8,391 tons of dry cargo, including 1,716 tons of refrigerated stores. They also have tanks capable of carrying approximately 25,000 barrels of fuel.<div type="image" title="An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter delivers supplies to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower from the fast combat support ship USNS Arctic." height="1331" width="2000" msid="115143525" hostid="261" sizebytes="207016"></div>The Kaiser-class replacement effort kicked off in earnest in 2016, when the Navy signed a design and construction contract with General Dynamics, a leading defense contractor and shipbuilder that reported $11.7 billion in revenue in its third-quarter earnings.Five years later, the lead ship of the new John Lewis-class was christened.The 746-foot-long, double-hull ships can carry 162,000 barrels of fuel, 6,675 tons of dry cargo, and 1,716 tons of refrigerated stores. A helicopter deck at the stern also enables VERTREP.Three John Lewis-class oilers — USNS John Lewis, USNS Harvey Milk, and USNS Earl Warren — are in service, and a fourth, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, is set to begin sea trials soon. Another was recently launched and two more are under construction.The class will soon become the main fleet oiler. An order for six ships was made in 2018, with options for three more exercised in 2022 and 2023. In September, the Navy signed a $6.7 billion contract for eight more John Lewis-class oilers with General Dynamics's National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The Navy hopes to have 20 of the vessels in total, supplemented by 13 yet-to-be-designed light replenishment oilers.<div type="image" title="The Hulunhu fast combat support ship is part of a new class that was built to service China's carrier strike groups." height="1060" width="2000" msid="115143528" hostid="261" sizebytes="205312"></div><h2 id="02ad4c6d-8c78-4ca1-ab92-1b32a6c75d25">China's replenishment ships</h2>The US Navy has over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2018/june/century-replenishment-sea">100 years of experience</a> building and operating replenishment ships. China's experience began in the 1980s.Its first replenishment ships could only carry about 10,500 tons of fuel. As China's fleet grew in the 1990s, it searched for a stopgap measure and found it in the Qinghaihu, an oiler built in Ukraine that was intended for the Soviet Navy.Ultimately, the Chinese opted to pursue a new design for its next replenishment ships: the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/qiandaohu.htm">Type 903-class</a> oiler.These ships can carry around 11,000 tons of cargo, including some 10,000 tons of fuel. Like the Qinghaihu, the Type 903s have a helicopter deck and helipad.Nine ships were built between 2002 and 2018, all of which are in service.The Type 903s form the backbone of China's replenishment fleet, but they are not the most capable. That title goes to the PLAN's Type 901-class fast combat support ships.The ships, which NATO designated the "Fuyu-class," are 787 feet long, displace 45,000 tons, have a helicopter deck and hangars, and are equipped with 5 FAS and 2 RAS stations. They are primarily meant to service China's carrier groups and can keep up as they are propelled by four gas turbine engines.The size, mission, and speed of the ships are comparable to the US Navy's Supply-class. Two Type 901s have been built: the Hulunhu and the Chaganhu.<div type="image" title="Replenishment ships like the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ships are essential to carrier operations but are highly vulnerable to attack." height="1333" width="2000" msid="115143527" hostid="261" sizebytes="344510"></div><h2 id="e54916fd-474c-416c-9f6b-46ac068eead5">'Weakest link'</h2>The important role these ships play is hard to overstate.Between October 2023 and May 2024 in support of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-weapons-expenditure-cost-middle-east-conflicts-2024-10">Red Sea operations</a>, for instance, USS Supply <a target="_blank" href="https://gcaptain.com/usns-supply-crew-honored-for-exceptional-service-in-red-sea-operations/">replenished</a> US and allied ships 143 times, transferring over 87 million gallons of fuel and 14,928 pallets of supplies in the process.The Henry J. Kaiser- and Lewis and Clark-class vessels also enabled the continuous presence of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-carrier-strike-groups-significant-combat-power-middle-east-2024-8">two carriers in the Middle East</a>.The PLAN's oilers, meanwhile, have extended the reach of its warships. <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&amp;context=cmsi-notes">Its contributions to international anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden</a> have, since 2008, almost always been made up of two surface combatants and one oiler, enabling each task force to stay on station for 4 months.The new Type 901s are already proving their worth. Last year, the Type 901-class oiler Chaganhu supported the Shandong carrier group during a series of exercises near Taiwan, Guam, and in the South China Sea. This included 620 aircraft sorties in just 18 days, <a target="_blank" href="https://news.usni.org/2023/07/14/japan-releases-fighter-scramble-data-against-chinese-aircraft">according</a> to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.In all, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-growing-navy-conducts-first-dual-aircraft-carrier-drills-2024-10">Shandong</a> spent about as much time at sea as any US carrier in the western Pacific that year, due in no small part to its replenishment ships.Yet replenishment ships are also the weakest link in each country's carrier groups. The most obvious reason is that they are almost completely unarmed, making them defenseless. Their defenses are instead provided by escort ships.They also face additional challenges unique to each country. The US, for instance, faces a manpower shortage, limited <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-us-navy-warships-delayed-photos-2024-4">shipyard capacity</a>, and an aging fleet with ships approaching the end of their expected service lives.Military Sealift Command employs mostly civilian merchant mariners, but now has a recruiting issue of its own.The manpower issue has been serious enough for MSC to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.usni.org/2024/08/22/navy-could-sideline-17-support-ships-due-to-manpower-issues">propose sidelining 17 of its ships</a> — including two Lewis &amp; Clark-class ammo ships and one Kaiser-class oiler — so their crews could be sent to serve on other vessels.The Kaiser-class itself is aging quickly. Four of the active oilers are already past their 35-year service lives, while one, USNS Pecos, departed for deactivation last month.Ships can have their service lives extended, but American shipyards appear unable to <a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4624326-almost-all-navy-shipbuilding-is-hopelessly-behind-schedule-as-war-looms/">keep up with demand</a> for new ships and maintenance for active ones, with some estimating that the Navy is as many as 20 years behind in needed maintenance.The backlog may be why only one Kaiser-class oiler, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-fired-captain-didnt-fix-steering-problem-near-miss-2024-9">USNS Big Horn</a>, was present in the Middle East during tensions between Israel and Iran in late September. This almost caused major problems when the ship accidentally <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-fuel-ship-damaged-incident-middle-east-2024-9">ran aground</a> and could no longer operate, forcing the Navy to rely on two Lewis &amp; Clark-class ammunition ships for refueling duties despite their smaller capability. The incident exposed <a target="_blank" href="https://responsiblestatecraft.org/refueling-navy-middle-east/">just how fragile UNREP networks can be</a>.China, meanwhile, has just 12 oilers despite having the world's largest navy, which puts a considerable strain on those ships. Additionally, its logistical network is hampered by a lack of overseas naval bases, which can serve as refueling and resupply stations for the oilers.China has the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-shipbuilding-power-players-making-warships-at-a-rapid-pace-2024-9">largest shipbuilding industry</a> in the world, however, enabling it to quickly build more oilers and convert some of its merchant ships into replenishment ships. It has also been attempting to expand its "String of Pearls"— Chinese-controlled ports in countries across the Indian and Pacific oceans that could support military ships.Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist covering international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has appeared in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

US vs. Chinese replenishment ships: The workhorses that keep aircraft carriers operating

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US is falling behind Russia in the number of icebreaker ships available for Arctic operations.</li><li>NORTHCOM commander Gen. Guillot warns of limited maneuverability in the region due to an icebreaker 'gap.'</li></ul>The US does not have enough icebreaker ships to compete in the Arctic the way Russia can with its much larger fleet, a US military commander warned.US Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, the commander of US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said on Thursday that the US currently has really only one heavy icebreaker ship for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coast-guard-arctic-freedom-of-navigation-exercise-polar-star-russia-2018-12">Arctic operations</a> while Russia has approximately 40 available."We do appreciate that the Coast Guard is procuring more icebreakers, but even with those, we will be severely outnumbered," Gen. Guillot said during a US Committee on Armed Services hearing. "That does limit our freedom of maneuver in that region."Icebreaker ships are special-purpose vessels designed with a stronger hull, a very specific shape, and greater power to effectively <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/captain-of-us-icebreaker-polar-star-describes-treacherous-trip-north-2021-1">break through thick ice</a> blocking access to strategic waterways and clear paths for other ships.The one available heavy US icebreaker is the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coast-guard-icebreaker-sails-farther-north-than-ever-before-2020-12">USCGC Polar Star</a>, and then there is the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coast-guard-icebreaker-healy-visits-north-pole-amid-arctic-activity-2022-10">medium icebreaker Healy</a>. Another vessel has been out of action for years.Maine Sen. Angus King expressed concerns during the hearing Thursday about the icebreaker "gap" or deficit and urged that the US military not wait to build up defenses in the Arctic as Russia increases its own military presence in the region.To the senator, not having sufficient icebreakers is unproductive, like "not having a road to get where you need to get."Russia has deployed nuclear-powered icebreakers called Arktika and Sibir, which have been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/may/worlds-most-capable-icebreakers-russias-new-arktika-class">characterized</a> as the largest and strongest icebreaker ships in the world.This isn't the first time alarms have sounded over the lack of icebreakers. Last fall, the US had a noticeable icebreaker gap, and lawmakers determined that investing in the Coast Guard is crucial for maintaining momentum in the Arctic."We need to make sure that we are trying to close a very very significant <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coast-guard-icebreaker-polar-star-running-out-of-spare-parts-2021-3">icebreaker gap</a>, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said at the time. "Even China's icebreaker capacity is on pace to surpass ours in 2025," he said, "and they are not even an Arctic nation."For more than 20 years, the Coast Guard has been asking for funds for the Arctic, but those requests have been deferred, US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier said last year. Now, conversations around Arctic militarization are being discussed amid proposals for the 2025 fiscal year budget.In addition to Russia becoming more active, China has also shared Arctic aspirations. With growing threats in this region, the US military has been increasingly looking at Arctic training. US Navy SEALs, for instance, recently conducted training operations deep in the Arctic, and the Army just recently wrapped a large-scale <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-lost-arctic-fighting-skills-training-regain-them-alaska-2024-2">training</a> exercise in Alaska to prepare soldiers for war in challenging environments and sub-zero temperatures.

The US military doesn't have the icebreakers to compete in the Arctic and is 'severely outnumbered' by Russia, commander warns

My sister and I went on a cruise in the Arctic Circle. With 24 hours of daylight, we had to 'create' nighttime in our rooms.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US rivals and foes — specifically Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea — are all becoming closer.</li><li>As these countries deepen their military ties, they are also flexing their muscles and challenging norms.</li></ul>Fueling wars and terror attacks. Illegally making nukes. Aggressively bullying nearby nations. And trying to bludgeon a neighboring country into bloody submission.These incidents over the past few weeks highlight how US rivals and foes are increasingly challenging the American-led global order as threats multiply worldwide.Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea have deepened their security ties as they simultaneously present Washington and its allies with new dilemmas that strain the US military."They have nowhere else to turn, so they turn to each other," said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow and the director of research in the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution."So it's partly out of necessity, if not desperation, on their part," he told Business Insider.<div type="image" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan in July." height="1434" width="2154" msid="113695745" hostid="261" sizebytes="111378"></div><h2 id="e4e106f7-94d0-4bce-b94d-1824cad78d3b">Growing challenges to the world order</h2>A big muscle flex came streaking across much of the Pacific this week when China <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-icbm-launch-into-pacific-was-first-in-44-years-2024-9">fired</a> its first intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean in decades. Its flight path carried it as far as Hawaii.The very public display, which was different from past testing, comes as China continues to strengthen and modernize its military and build up its growing nuclear force, of which its ICBMs are an important element.The test also comes amid Chinese aggression and provocations against US allies like Japan and the Philippines, the latter of which has been in a months-long stand-off with China in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-air-force-drone-drill-chinese-fake-island-2024-9">South China Sea</a>.China has also been running <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-and-china-anti-us-coalition-is-growing-more-threatening-2024-9">large-scale air and naval drills</a> with Russia in the Western Pacific that Russian President Vladimir Putin has characterized as a challenge to the US-led world order."We pay special attention to strengthening military cooperation with friendly states," Putin said at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-teams-up-with-china-start-big-naval-drills-2024-09-10/">start of the drills</a>."Today, in the context of growing geopolitical tensions in the world, this is especially important," he added. "We see that the United States of America is trying to maintain its global military and political dominance at any cost."The joint military drills in the Pacific were part of a larger series of naval exercises that Moscow held worldwide, including in the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, as Russia sought to flex its maritime power, which remains strong.<div type="image" title="Russian anti-submarine aircraft fly during joint naval and air drills with China in September." height="3391" width="6026" msid="113695746" hostid="261" sizebytes="566804"></div><h2 id="b758db5c-fa50-480b-b122-d89a9cbcd611">Fueling conflicts</h2>The biggest challenge to the rules-based global order remains Russia's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/before-after-satellite-images-ukraine-wipe-out-russian-ammo-depots-2024-9">devastating and brutal war against Ukraine</a>. The US and its allies have sent billions of dollars in security assistance to Kyiv, leading the West to receive a plethora of threats from Moscow, which routinely rattles the so-called nuclear saber.Throughout the conflict, Russia's war machine has received considerable support from Iran, which has provided Moscow with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-put-sim-cards-attack-drones-help-with-strikes-expert-2024-9">one-way attack drones</a> and, as of earlier this month, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-russian-cargo-ship-transported-iranian-ballistic-missiles-2024-9">short-range ballistic missiles</a>.US officials have denounced the deepening ties between Iran and Russia and expressed concern that Moscow has helped Tehran by sharing nuclear technology and space-related information."This is obviously deeply concerning," John Kirby, a White House National Security Council spokesperson, said this month about their connection.<div type="image" title="A service member walks with a civilian woman through the rubble of a building in Ukraine." height="1436" width="2154" msid="113695741" hostid="261" sizebytes="494130"></div>"It certainly speaks to the manner in which this partnership threatens European security and how it illustrates Iran's destabilizing influence now reaches well beyond the Middle East," he added.Iran has also fueled conflicts in the volatile Middle East by arming and supporting proxy groups across the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are fighting Israel, and the Houthis, who continue to relentlessly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-difficult-mission-save-stricken-red-sea-tanker-2024-9">attack merchant shipping lanes</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.Tehran and its militant proxies have criticized Israel's highly destructive retaliatory attacks, using them as justification for further aggression. The US, a key Israeli partner, has attempted to rein in Israel's military response to curb the devastation in Gaza and prevent war with Hezbollah, but Washington primarily blames Iran and its affiliates for the chaos in the region.Iran is reportedly trying to help the Houthis <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-helping-houthis-try-secure-russia-ship-missiles-red-sea-2024-9">obtain anti-ship missiles</a> from Russia, weapons that increase the dangers to defenseless commercial ships and their crews.Iran and its network of proxies have effectively pinned down a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-left-middle-east-ending-show-force-2024-9">tremendous amount of US naval firepower</a>, which was moved into the Middle East to defend Israel and American forces in the region and counter the Houthis and other Tehran-backed threats.Responding to Middle Eastern threats, the US has been cycling carrier strike groups into the region, with two on patrol at one point in a rare show of force. That display of power, though, came at the cost of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-has-no-aircraft-carriers-pacific-focus-middle-east-2024-8">US carrier presence in the Pacific</a>.Meanwhile, North Korea, another isolated pariah state, gave the world a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-shows-off-uranium-enrichment-site-for-nukes-photos-2024-9">rare look at its nuclear weapons</a> program earlier this month by publishing photos of a uranium enrichment site, sending a blunt signal to its foes.<div type="image" title="A burning oil tanker in the open ocean." height="1105" width="1600" msid="113695738" hostid="261" sizebytes="93360"></div>The photos showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the facility in what was a clear message aimed at countries like the US that hope to restrict Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. North Korea has remained firmly committed to maintaining its nuclear status and strengthening its arsenal despite intense international pressure.North Korea, like Iran, is also fueling conflicts and has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-new-north-korean-missiles-made-this-year-ukraine-2024-9">given weapons to Russia</a>, which started the war in Ukraine in 2022, to use against Kyiv's armed forces. Much to the frustration of the US and its Western allies, North Korea has provided artillery and missiles.<h2 id="d17ef3b4-d228-4b93-88a5-d0674e1f4afa">How the West is responding to these growing threats</h2>"We're seeing this new axis — Russia, Iran, North Korea; we urge China not to throw their lot in with this group of renegades, renegades in the end that are costing lives here in Ukraine," UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said during a visit to Kyiv earlier this month. There have long been concerns about China's support for Russia, though.Western officials have repeatedly raised concerns about Chinese activities, and this past summer, NATO labeled China a "decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine."The relationships between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea — and their behaviors — have stirred fears that the US could be headed for a great power conflict in Europe or the Pacific or, at the very least, swamped by more problems than it can handle as top rivals and foes team up.The potential for a large-scale conflict between the US and Russia or China, for instance, has triggered warnings from experts and former officials that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-not-ready-china-war-military-economy-2023-5">Washington is not ready</a>.<div type="image" title="Kim Jong Un and four others watch the launch of a ballistic missile." height="3332" width="5000" msid="113695743" hostid="261" sizebytes="448370"></div>Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, argued in a recent op-ed that the US military is either stagnating in size or shrinking, with force readiness out of step with the rising threats."The defense-industrial base, after decades of neglect, cannot produce major weapons systems in the numbers we need in a timely way nor — as we have seen in Ukraine — can it produce the vast quantity of munitions required for a great-power conflict," he wrote in a Tuesday Washington Post <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/24/robert-gates-peril-china-russia-pentagon-congress-defense/">op-ed</a>."Despite these realities, it is largely business as usual in Washington," he said. "Dramatic change is needed to convert rhetoric into ensuring and sustaining long-term military superiority."

America's rivals are piling on the pressure all at once

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia this week launched large-scale naval and air drills with China.</li><li>Military cooperation between the two powers is growing.</li></ul>China and Russia have long railed against what they claim is the malign influence of US power. Now, they're sending a signal to the West that they have the combined military strength to challenge <keyword id="22115694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-dominance" source="keywords">US dominance</keyword>. On Tuesday, the Russian military launched large-scale naval and air drills in the <keyword id="21182587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sea-of-Japan" source="keywords">Sea of Japan</keyword> alongside China. Taking place in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas, the "Ocean-24" exercise is massive in scale. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, it involves more than 400 warships, submarines, and support vessels, more than 120 planes and helicopters, and more than 90,000 troops. "This exercise aims to deepen the <keyword id="20275236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="strategic-cooperation" source="keywords">strategic cooperation</keyword> level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats," China's Defense Ministry said Monday, reported <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/09/09/china-to-hold-military-drills-with-russia-this-month-a86302">the AFP newswire.</a> It's the second time in only three months that the powers have held joint <keyword id="20252562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="military-exercises" source="keywords">military exercises</keyword>, with drills held near the southern Chinese port of Guangdong in July. It's a sign of the growing military alignment of the powers, with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/ChinaPowerCSIS/status/1821607307702108546">China Power Project finding</a> that of the 102 joint exercises held by the militaries since 2003, more than half took place in the last seven years. Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider that Russia and China were sending a message. "Russia's naval exercises are intended to signal that Moscow is still a global power that can operate in a range of blue-water theaters around the world," he said. "China's participation is part of a long-running trend of deeper Sino-Russian strategic cooperation and military integration." <h2>An <keyword id="23230129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anti-US" source="keywords">anti-US</keyword> axis</h2> <div type="image" title="Putin and Xi walking past a row of Chinese soldiers in full dress uniforms holding rifles and standing to attention" height="632" width="1024" msid="113295564" hostid="261"></div>On the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin declared a "no limits" partnership as part of their shared mission to challenge US global dominance. In the three years since, China has provided Russia with crucial diplomatic and economic support as it faced isolation over the Ukraine invasion, and, according to the US, is providing the Kremlin with increasing support for its weapons industry. In defiance of the West, both nations are flexing their power and showcasing their capacity to project military strength. The Pacific, where the US and its allies, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-aircraft-carrier-south-korea-north-korea-russia-putin-kim-2024-6">South Korea and Japan, have a major</a> naval presence, is a potential flash point. The joint exercises are taking place in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. China and Russia both have territorial disputes with Japan, while China is menacing Taiwan with invasion, a move that could trigger conflict with the US. "There's clearly an intention on the part of Beijing and Moscow to show that they can jointly project power in the Indo-Pacific," Thompson said. China's continuing to strengthen its partnership with Russia despite increasingly stark criticism<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-accused-china-supplying-russia-arms-components-ukraine-war-2024-7"> from the West.</a> The July military exercises came after NATO accused China of being a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war in Ukraine. <h2>Great power competition intensifies</h2> <div type="image" title="A large explosion behind two US military armoured vehicles during a military show in Alaska" height="683" width="1024" msid="113295563" hostid="261"></div>Some experts are warning that joint Russian and Chinese military strength poses a serious challenge to the West. It's a potential threat on a scale the US hasn't faced in decades, with its military focused on fighting militant groups in the face of chaos in the Middle East. "A full-scale China-Russia alliance would present the United States with a threat unlike any it has confronted since the end of the Cold War," analyst Chels Michta wrote in an <a target="_blank" href="https://cepa.org/author/chels-michta/">article for the Center for European Policy Analysis last November.</a> The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ida.org/-/media/feature/publications/A/Am/Americas%20Strategic%20Posture/Strategic-Posture-Commission-Report.pdf"> States last October </a>urged the Pentagon to urgently revise its strategy so it could potentially fight both powers at the same time. Some analysts, though, are pointing to tensions between Russia and China that could weaken the alliance. Russia has become a junior partner to Xi's China, and it is increasingly reliant on it to keep its war machine and economy running. And China is likely using the war in Ukraine for its own purposes, to weaken and distract the West as it plans a possible attack on Taiwan, analysts at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/russia-and-china-true-nature-their-cooperation">Royal United Services Institute in the UK wrote in July.</a> But for now, the alliance is growing closer, and Thompson said that the US would be watching the latest military exercises between Russia and China closely. "This is yet another signal that the geopolitical environment continues to deteriorate amid ongoing great power competition," he said. Correction: September 12, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the surname of an analyst with the Eurasia Group. It's Thompson, not Thomson.

Russia and China's anti-US alliance is growing even more threatening

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A company in Greenland called Arctic Ice is harvesting ice from the country's shrinking glaciers.</li><li>The company sells the "purest ice in the world" to elite cocktail bars in Dubai to chill drinks.</li></ul>If you're really, truly among the world's elite, you can't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/how-to-chill-wine-fast">chill your drink</a> with just any old ice. You need the "purest ice in the world," harvested directly from the rapidly melting glaciers in Greenland.At least, that's what Arctic Ice, a startup based in Greenland, is hoping will catch on as it begins selling glacier ice to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/st-regis-new-york-king-cole-bar-cocktails-review-2020-1">upscale cocktail bars</a> in Dubai."Our pure iceberg ice has little to no taste, ensuring it doesn't alter the flavor of beverages as it melts, unlike ice made from tap or mineral water," reads the <a target="_blank" href="https://arcticice.ae/">Arctic Ice website</a>. "Additionally, its structure makes it last longer in drinks, providing a premium experience in bars and restaurants."The ice is harvested from icebergs "already naturally detached from the glacier and floating in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-take-a-ferry-up-greenland-coast-2019-6">Nuuk fjord</a>," the company claims, making its impact on the environment "very insignificant."It is then shipped, still frozen, on cargo vessels to Arctic Ice's distribution partner, Natural Ice, in Dubai. The cost for a high-end bar to acquire a piece of glacier from Arctic Ice is unclear, as is the cost of a single serving to chill a cocktail.Representatives for Arctic Ice and Natural Ice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Arctic Ice, founded in 2022, only recently dispatched its first 20-ton batch of ice to the United Arab Emirates, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/greenland-startup-shipping-glacier-ice-cocktail-bars-uae-arctic-ice">The Guardian</a> reported. The project was started in part due to cofounder Malik V Rasmussen's desire to increase Greenland's economic independence from neighboring Denmark, the outlet reported."In Greenland, we make all our money from fish and from tourism," Rasmussen told The Guardian. "For a long time, I have wanted to find something else that we can profit from."Though Rasmussen insists the company has environmental sustainability in mind as it conducts business, critics aren't sure that's possible, given the catastrophic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/42-square-miles-arctic-greenland-ice-shelf-breaks-off-sea-2020-9">impacts of the climate crisis on Greenland's iconic glaciers</a>.Researchers have indicated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greenland-ice-loss-rate-7-times-higher-2019-12">Greenland's glaciers are melting</a> 7 times as fast as they did in the '90s and have "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greenland-melting-ice-sheet-past-tipping-point-2020-8">passed the point of no return,</a>" dooming the massive ice sheet to disappear."Just to get this right :) You are shipping ice from Greenland to Dubai? To be used in drinks? What is the sustainable part in that?" one Instagram commenter said on a recent post by Arctic Ice."Shame on you for killing us all a little quicker," another jabbed. However, comments on the company's account have been limited.Arctic Ice isn't the first to come under fire for using glacier ice to chill drinks. Martha Stewart last year faced sharp, but perhaps justified, criticism when she posted a picture of a small glacier, captured floating near a fjord in Greenland, that was used to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/martha-stewart-slammed-for-using-small-iceberg-in-cocktail-cruise-2023-8">chill her cocktails</a> while on board a luxury cruise."Martha the ice caps are melting don't put them in your drink," one user said in the comments section.Greta Thunberg, the environmentalist who has probably had nightmares about arctic glaciers chilling the drinks of society's elite, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Elite cocktail bars in the UAE have a new way to draw in customers: luxury ice from arctic glaciers

How US troops train in the Arctic tundra in Alaska

What's behind Russia's Arctic fleet and Putin's plans for the North Pole

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US intercepted Russian and Chinese bombers near Alaska on Wednesday.</li><li>They weren't seen as a threat, but it's the first time the countries have been seen cooperating this way.</li></ul>North American Aerospace Defense Command said it sent fighter jets to intercept four Russian and Chinese bombers as they passed near Alaska on Wednesday.The military planes — two Russian Tu-95s and two Chinese H-6s — did not enter US airspace but passed through Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.norad.mil/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Article/3849184/norad-detects-tracks-and-intercepts-russian-and-prc-aircraft-operating-in-the-a/">NORAD said</a>.An unnamed US defense official <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/24/politics/norad-russian-chinese-bombers-alaska/index.html">told CNN</a> that it was the first time aircraft from the two countries had been intercepted together.The planes were "not seen as a threat," the NORAD statement read, though it said that it would continue to track such activity and "meet presence with presence."An Air Defense Identification Zone is a patch of airspace outlined by the US government that extends beyond the country's 12-mile territorial airspace, and where incoming planes are required to identify themselves and comply with additional security measures.Russian aircraft have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-us-f-22s-intercept-russian-aircraft-over-alaskan-arctic-2020-4">regularly intercepted around Alaska</a>, but Chinese aircraft far less so.The head of US Northern Command, Gen. Gregory Guillot, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/31424fulltranscript.pdf">told a Senate hearing</a> in March that he expected to see Chinese planes in the region by the end of the year."What I have seen is a willingness and a desire by the Chinese to act up there," he said.Most of this is purportedly done under the auspices of scientific research, Guillot said, "but we think it is certainly multi-mission, to include military."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jul/22/2003507411/-1/-1/0/DOD-ARCTIC-STRATEGY-2024.PDF">The Pentagon's Arctic strategy</a> for 2024, released in June, noted "increasing collaboration" between China and Russia in the region.And Kathleen Hicks, the deputy secretary of defense, said at a media briefing on Monday that the US has seen "growing cooperation between the PRC and Russia in the Arctic commercially, with the PRC being a major funder of Russian energy exploitation in the Arctic," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/china-russia-push-back-over-washington-s-arctic-warning-/7709248.html">Agence France-Presse reported</a>.PRC is the acronym for the People's Republic of China.The intercept comes only a few days after Moscow and Beijing pushed back against the US' characterization of their ambitions in the region, AFP reported.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said this week that the US "makes thoughtless remarks on China's normal Arctic activities," the outlet reported.Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the US Arctic strategy, saying Russia is trying to avoid the region "becoming 'a territory of discord' that escalates tensions," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.com/politics/1820307">according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS</a>.

Russian and Chinese bombers were intercepted flying together for the first time near the US

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Russian court ordered the arrest of Yulia Navalnaya and accused her of extremist activity.</li><li>Navalnaya, widow of Alexey Navalny, has accused Putin of murdering her husband.</li></ul>A Russian court has ordered the arrest of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of former political opposition leader <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-life-career-of-putin-critic-alexei-navalny-2023-9#in-december-navalny-was-found-at-a-remote-penal-colony-after-his-lawyers-lost-contact-with-him-for-three-weeks-21">Alexey Navalny</a>.The court accused Navalnaya of "participating in an extremist community," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/world/europe/russia-yulia-navalnaya-arrest-order.html">according to The New York Times</a>.Navalny died in prison earlier this year in an Arctic penal colony, where he was imprisoned after the court convicted him of extremist activity.Navalny ran for office in Russia as a reformist, accusing President Vladimir Putin of corruption."Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a war criminal. His place is in prison, and not somewhere in The Hague, in a cozy cell with a TV, but in Russia — in the same colony and the same two-by-three-meter cell in which he killed Aleksei," <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/yulia_navalnaya/status/1810697931256643922">Navalnaya wrote Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter</a>, according to a translation in the Times.Navalnaya has championed her deceased husband's causes and has repeatedly accused Putin of murdering her husband. She has led his Anti-Corruption Foundation, which operates out of Lithuania and is considered "extremist" by Russian authorities, according to the Times.Navalnaya has also been working on her husband's memoir, which is due to be published in August.Navalnaya has not been in Russia since 2021, but Russian officials said she would be arrested if she ever returned.Her husband survived a poisoning attempt in 2020 and returned to Russia the following year, where he was promptly arrested and sent to a penal colony.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-alexei-navalnys-wife-arrested-during-protests-for-his-release-2021-1">Navalnaya was arrested</a> in 2021 before leaving Russia along with 1,600 protesters who were calling for Navalny to be released from prison.In December last year, Navalny was located at a remote penal colony in the Arctic. In February, Russian officials announced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-returns-alexey-navalny-body-vladimir-putin-yulia-navalnaya-funeral-2024-2">Navalny had suddenly died</a>.

Russia wants to arrest Alexei Navalny's widow after resistance leader died in prison

<ul class="summary-list"><li>1st Sgt. Micah Symmonds is a jumpmaster for the Army's 11th Airborne Division in Alaska.</li><li>Symmonds said he still gets nervous before jumps, but keeps an outward appearance of calm for his paratroopers.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 1st Sgt. Micah Symmonds, a US Army jumpmaster in the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska. It's been edited for length and clarity.To be a jumpmaster, you need to be a good leader. Attention to detail and being able to exude calmness for your paratroopers before a mission is important, even if I'm still nervous in the preparation for it. Once the ball starts rolling though, I feel in my element.I've had over 60 jumps, and I still cheese out over it every time. It's a huge adrenaline rush every time, and if you're not feeling that, then it's probably time to retire. There's a reason why so many people choose to be in an airborne division for their entire career.I've been able to jump into Guam, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines. I've also been stationed in Kuwait and have gone around the Middle East. Especially being in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-lost-arctic-fighting-skills-training-regain-them-alaska-2024-2">11th Airborne Division</a>, we have a very unique geographical position, so we're able to reach a lot of places in the Indo-Pacific region.<h2 id="d5823ae5-a006-4dcf-8a19-f1c31f3ef196">Jumping in the freezing cold</h2><div type="image" title="A picture of 1SG Micah Symmonds." height="3000" width="2400" msid="110233338" hostid="261" sizebytes="319850"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-paratroopers-jump-out-of-c17s-into-freezing-arctic-assaults-2024-3">Jumping in the Arctic</a>, the biggest change is what you're wearing on your body depending on the temperature. It's very different than jumping into Thailand, for example.The coldest I've ever jumped in was -50 degrees Fahrenheit. I was wearing a balaclava, goggles, gloves, and vapor barrier boots on that jump. But I wasn't wearing any sort of insulating clothing on my body because inside the aircraft, the temperature is about 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't want to sweat as I exit in that environment, so I keep my insulating layers in my rucksack.Packing, especially of insulating layers, is the huge difference between our summer and winter jumps. And we're packing a lot of water and water purification materials, or a stove and fuel to melt snow.The hardest part is balancing what soldier gear you need with what kind of life-saving gear you need. You want your paratroopers to be safe and have all the stuff to make them comfortable in the cold weather, but having a rucksack in excess of 100 pounds isn't sustainable to jump and do a mission that can last weeks or months.Having to play that balancing game between what is inside your rucksack and on your person versus what can be delivered later is a very fun and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I7dMfNRz7A">challenging game in the Arctic</a>.<h2 id="d51f5ad7-80f4-436c-9fad-23bf3c24015e">Can't miss anything that would injure a jumper</h2><div type="image" title="U.S. Army paratroopers from 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, leave the drop zone after finishing an airborne operation as part of Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-02 in Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, Feb. 8, 2024." height="667" width="1000" msid="110233340" hostid="261" sizebytes="91628"></div>When you are training to become a jumpmaster, there is a very high standard for what you need to do at the schoolhouse.Inspecting paratroopers before a jump — when you're meticulously going item by item on each jumper and checking for each item's serviceability and that everything is in the correct configuration to exit the aircraft — is a pretty daunting task. You can't miss any major deficiencies that would cause injury to a jumper on that.You also have to learn all of the equipment nomenclature. Each piece has its own special Army name that usually doesn't make sense in regular English, but you just have to learn it and know what it means.So, for example, instead of saying something like helmet pad, it would be referred to as a front trapezoid pad, which refers to a very specific piece of equipment. Another is a rubber band, which is called a retainer band.Specific words have specific meanings. If I just ask for a rubber band, I could be asking for any sort of thing. If I ask for a retainer band, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm getting this specific piece of equipment that everyone in the operations knows. If I ask for a helmet pad, there are about three or four different shapes you could get depending on the helmet you're using.It is all about having it down and knowing exactly what you need in the heat of the moment, and that can be vital in terms of timing and communication.<h2 id="dceafc50-1143-4296-866e-d7f79ccb76a5">Three opportunities to make the jump</h2><div type="image" title="Paratroopers from the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, hold onto static lines inside of a C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, prior to conducting an airborne assault as part of a joint forcible entry exercise during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-02 in Alaska, Feb. 8, 2024." height="5504" width="8256" msid="110233342" hostid="261" sizebytes="2534556"></div>Jumping has that extra thrill, and there's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-breeding-new-kind-of-arctic-warrior-freezing-alaska-2024-2">a special camaraderie</a> that comes with being in an airborne unit. And then becoming a jumpmaster, you're a leader in that organization, you really need to show the want and drive.Missions are sort of like a leveling event where it doesn't matter who you are. We're all paratroopers, and we're doing our jobs, helping each other rig and checking for safety for the person in front of you and trusting the person behind you to check your chute.On each jump, you're generally exiting from both parachute doors of an aircraft, and each door will have a jumpmaster. Once the green light comes on, meaning that we're safe to exit paratroopers, most people click right into their training and know what they're doing. They've prepped for this. They're ready to go.Each trooper gets three opportunities to go and if they don't go, for whatever reason, they're getting removed from the door and told not to touch their equipment. They'll fly back, and then a jumpmaster who wasn't a part of the team will look at their equipment and chute thoroughly for a technical inspection.Basically, we want to make sure we're giving the paratrooper every benefit of the doubt that they didn't just get scared before the jump but maybe found something wrong in their equipment.If nothing is wrong, it goes up a chain of command to make a determination whether that trooper should do some remedial training or a larger discussion about the mission and what's expected of them. This is all exceedingly rare, but there is a plan if it does come up.<h2 id="be745dff-7ed2-4cae-81f5-73022ccece5a">Hitting the ground the right way</h2><div type="image" title="Paratroopers with 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, stage onboard a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III prior to conducting an airborne operation in Donnelly Training Area, Delta Junction, AK, Feb. 8, 2024." height="750" width="1000" msid="110233343" hostid="261" sizebytes="195742"></div>Paratroopers go through a lot of training, and then before a mission, we rehearse the jump, how they're going to exit the aircraft, what they need to do while they're in the air, and how to land properly.Once you load onto the aircraft, you can wait to jump anywhere from 20 minutes if it's at your local station to 18 hours if you're traveling far. You wait for the 20-minute call, then the 10-minute call, and you stand up and hook up. Depending on the aircraft, there can be different configurations, but there's always going to be an anchor line cable, which is just a thick metal cable that runs down the entire body of the aircraft.And once you jump, there's obviously a correct time to pull the parachute and best ways to land, which is with your feet and knees together, slightly bent, and basically you want to hit the ground with the balls of your feet and just kind of roll along, trying to let the energy dissipate.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-us-army-is-training-soldiers-to-fight-in-arctic-2024-3">Landing in the Arctic</a> is a gamble. Even if you're coming down in what you think is a blanket of light snow, it could be hard ice and it's almost like hitting concrete. There are challenges in other places as well though. In Thailand or Australia, for example, you could have a nice sandy landing or sand that's sun-baked and hard. So it's really hit-and-miss.The training for landing is extremely important because you need to be able to land regardless of the environment, regardless of what's happening, and still be able to go and achieve whatever the objective is at the time.

I'm a US Army jumpmaster in the frozen Arctic, and the coldest jump I've ever made was -50 degrees Fahrenheit

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, addressed the European Parliament. </li><li>She accused Russian officials of abusing her husband's body. </li></ul>Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, said her husband's body had been abused while awaiting burial.Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg Wednesday, <a target="_blank" href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/de/video/address-by-yulia-navalnaya-speech-by-roberta-metsola-ep-president_I253744">Navalnaya accused Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> of killing her husband.She said that her husband had been "tortured for three years" on Putin's orders, cut off from the outside world, starved, and denied contact with friends and family."And then they killed him. Even after that they abused his body and abused his mother," Navalnaya said. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in Navalny's death.Navalny's mother has claimed that Russian officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navalny-mom-russia-blackmailing-burial-performative-cruelty-putin-death-2024-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">refused to release his body for burial </a>and pressured her to hold a private funeral, then finally backed down eight days after his death.The Kremlin has not yet responded to the allegations.She said her husband would be buried in Moscow on Friday, but did not know if the event would be peaceful because Russian police might try to arrest those paying their respects.Navalny, Putin's most powerful critic, died in a Russian penal colony on February 16, where he was being held on charges widely regarded to be politically motivated.Russian authorities have claimed that he died of natural causes, but Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have accused Putin of being behind Navalny's death.Navalny had for years campaigned against Putin and his inner circle, releasing viral videos exposing their alleged corruption and holding anti-Kremlin rallies.He was taken abroad for treatment after narrowly escaping death in a poisoning in 2020, then returned to Russia in 2021 and was imprisoned.Navalnaya told European leaders that sanctions alone would not defeat Putin, and they must emulate her late husband's inventiveness."If you really want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator," she tells MEPs in Strasbourg. "And you have to stop being boring."

You Searched For "Arctic" and got 13 results

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My sister and I went on a cruise in the Arctic Circle. With 24 hours of daylight, we had to 'create' nighttime in our rooms.

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Russia wants to arrest Alexei Navalny's widow after resistance leader died in prison

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I'm a US Army jumpmaster in the frozen Arctic, and the coldest jump I've ever made was -50 degrees Fahrenheit

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Navalny's body was 'abused' after his death in an Arctic penal colony, says his wife

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