Professors, thank you very much for your presentations.

I am very interested in the Arctic situation. The majority of our witnesses who have appeared before the committee have argued that the deterioration of relations with Russia over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine will not affect international relations in the Arctic.

As of Monday, Russia activated the new Arctic joint strategic command. Russia's new joint strategic command became operational on December 1. Northern Fleet Commander Vladimir Korolev has announced that the new command based on the northern fleet and headquartered in Severomorsk will acquire military, naval, surface and strategic nuclear sub to surface air force and aerospace defence units, assets and bases transferred from Russia's western, central and south but not eastern military districts, with which it will importantly be on par.

The creation of the new command was outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 24, one or two weeks ago.

The northern fleet will be absorbed in its entirety into the command, together with a substantial element of the first air force and air defence command. The official transfer processes will be conducted through the ministry of defence and will take several weeks. Subordinate to the new command will be freshly constructed and upgraded air bases, garrisons, and maritime docking facilities on mostly Arctic island territories, including Novaya Zemlya, the new Siberian Islands, Wrangel Island, and Cape Schmidt, which were amalgamated in the joint task force in October and with the most up-to-date coastal and air defence weapons system to protect these possessions.

The land component is comprised of two special Arctic brigades, the first to be combat ready in 2015, next year. That's very close. It is at the village of Alakurtti, 50 kilometres from the Finnish border. It was reopened in March as a large fleet with an intelligence unit with the strength of 3,000 specialist operators. The other is understood to be at a yet-to-be identified location in the northerly Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District which will become ready in 2016. Work on both of these is said to be completed on a fast, non-stop basis.

The head of the National Defence Management Centre, General Mikhail Mizintsev, indicated on November 29 that the project will include 13 new upgraded airfields, air training and target areas, radar and air navigation sites, 150 northern fleet vessels, and some 1,200 units and subunits, including remote garrisons.

Russia is also expanding the Arctic special forces presence by more than 30%, with the garrisons of the revamped 61st independent naval infantry regiment stationed in the Sputnik base Pechenga inside the Arctic Circle, 10 miles from the Norwegian border and 40 miles from the Finnish border, where it will be co-located with the 200 independent infantry brigade that was reformed in May 2011.

To what extent do you agree with the assessment that Russia is not presenting any threats to the North American continent?

Corneliu Chisu

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