US Strategies Skip North Pacific as Russia, China Move
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- U.S. National Security Strategy (2025) and National Defense Strategy (2026) stress homeland defense and a “free and open Indo‑Pacific” while omitting any explicit focus on the North Pacific.
- Trump administration has turned attention to the North Atlantic, pursuing a possible acquisition of Greenland instead of addressing North Pacific security.
- Alaska hosts the world’s highest concentration of F‑35 and F‑22 fighters, the 11th Airborne Division, and the North Warning System, anchoring U.S. defense of the North Pacific.
- Russia’s Arctic Policy 2035 targets the Northern Sea Route for economic viability and plans to export energy and critical minerals to Indo‑Pacific partners, expanding its presence in the North Pacific.
- China is also positioning itself to influence the North Pacific, aligning with Russia’s push for alternative trade and energy routes, though specific projects remain unspecified.
Why it matters: Alaska’s bases, home to over 200 F‑35/F‑22 jets, gain strategic relevance, while the U.S. risks ceding influence to Russia and China if the North Pacific remains unaddressed, jeopardizing energy and mineral supply routes.
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