US Sends Additional Troops to Alaska Poltico

According to the website, Washington has sent additional forces to the region due to the increased activity of Russia and China.

The United States is bolstering its military presence in Alaska amid increased activity by Russia and China off its coast, Politico reported Friday.

The outlet noted that the US has redeployed a number of assets over the past month, including the destroyer USS Sterett. In addition, ground forces are now stationed on one of the state’s remote islands, and fighter jets and other aircraft have been put on heightened alert.

Business Insider reported last week that the deployment included soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, supported by HIMARS missile systems and reconnaissance radars to track Sino-Russian naval exercises.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) sounded the alarm about the increase in Russian and Chinese military activity. “The number of assets has increased significantly. The Russians are using air, surface and subsurface, but they are doing it much more in conjunction with China than ever before. They are clearly escalating,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) suggested that Russia’s military actions are a response to Washington’s support for Kiev in its conflict with Moscow. “I think they’re probably trying to send a message to their own country as well,” he said.

On September 15, the Russian Defense Ministry said two Tu-95 strategic bombers flew over the Chukchi Sea in neutral airspace near Alaska to practice “carrying out air attacks using cruise missiles on key simulated enemy facilities,” escorted by several fighter jets.

In July, Moscow officials announced that Russian and Chinese bombers were on a joint patrol mission in the same area. They said the planes complied with all international aviation regulations while being tracked by fighters from unnamed nations.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would protect its interests in the Arctic, saying NATO countries were clearly interested in expanding in the region.

(RT.com)