The US Navy in a Warming Arctic

A new report by the U.S. Naval Forces Naval Studies Board about the implications of climate change for the US Navy finds that “many changes are already under way in regions around the world, such as in the Arctic, and call for action by U.S. naval leadership in response.”

The report and its findings and recommendations are organized around six discussion areas—all presented within the context of a changing climate: 

1. Disputes of boundaries and exclusive economic zones as a result of new maritime transits and competition of new resources;

2. Strains on naval capabilities—given continuing first responder missions, and the opening of new international and territorial waters;

3. Vulnerabilities to naval coastal installations due to sea-level rise and increased storm surges;

4. Demands for establishing greater U.S., allied, and/or international maritime partnerships;

5. Impacts on the technical underpinnings that enable, in part, naval force capabilities, particularly those that operate and train in the Arctic; and

6. Investments for additional research and development that have implications for future naval operations and capabilities and might not be met by other groups pursuing climate-related research.

One of the most interesting findings of the report is that “The ability of U.S. naval forces to carry out their missions would be assisted if the United States were to ratify UNCLOS.” According to the report:

The committee has studied the implications of the failure of the United States to ratify the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) from the standpoint of potential impacts on national security in the context of a changing climate. As climate change affords increased access to the Arctic, it is envisioned that there will be new opportunities for natural resource exploration and recovery, as well as increased ship traffic of all kinds, and with that a need for broadened naval partnership and cooperation, and a framework for settling potential disputes and conflicts.

The report is available from the National Academies Press website.