Russia does loom over Alaska and resents selling it to America. Best not to take chances Russia will discover ethnic Russians there in need of Moscow's salvation.
The INDOPACOM wants to reopen the Adak base in the Aleutian Islands:
An isolated Navy station known for brutal Alaskan winter storms and thousands of unexploded bombs might soon be reborn as a frontline base to counter Russian and Chinese advances in the Arctic.
Last week, the top commander in the Pacific, Adm. Samuel Paparo, joined other military officials in calling for a revival of a base on Adak Island, a tiny, rocky outpost in Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain. The island, which sits halfway between mainland Alaska and Russia, would give the U.S. “an opportunity to gain time and distance on any force capability that’s looking to penetrate,” Paparo said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
It has a rich defense history:
During the Cold War, Adak served as the primary anti-submarine warfare base in the Pacific, with P-3 Orions regularly patrolling the surrounding waters. The island also stored B57 nuclear depth bombs designed to detonate underwater and destroy enemy submarines.
One, we need more baskets for our assets in the western Pacific. Cramming them into a few bases is a gift to an enemy.
Two, well, the Russians inexplicably want to be our enemy.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE: The photo is from the U.S. Navy.
