Dynamic Environment Has Changed Drastically Since End of the Cold War

摘要

AS THE ARCTIC ICE IS DIMINISHING, interest in the region, the once foreboding icy high north, so hostile to humans, now seems to be extending a warm welcome to people, whether for defense, commerce, fishing or tourism.The U.S. Navy and its NATO allies long considered the Arctic as a potential sanctuary and battlespace for nuclear powered submarines that can safely and covertly maneuver under the ice for extended periods of time. The Soviets had the same idea. That's why so much research was conducted to build and maintain a foundational knowledge of the dynamic ocean, ice and atmospheric environment. As the Cold War tensions thawed, the research was reduced. Now, thirty years later, relations between Russia and NATO have turned frigid again.