Senator Warns of Growing Russian and Chinese Military Presence Near Alaska

U.S. officials have detected an alarming increase in Russian and Chinese military incursions near Alaska, including a rising number of joint operations that Senator Dan Sullivan warns have transformed the Arctic into an active security front.

In an exclusive interview, Sullivan (R-Alaska) revealed that more than 100 Russian aircraft, four Chinese vessels, and over a dozen joint operations have entered the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) since 2019. This security buffer extends beyond the 12-nautical-mile sovereign U.S. airspace and requires foreign craft to identify themselves.

“Let’s just say the world’s largest fleet of oceanographic survey ships wasn’t off the coast of Alaska to ‘save the whales,'” Sullivan told Fox News Digital, highlighting the serious nature of these incursions.

The senator is now pushing for Congress to accelerate icebreaker construction, reopen Cold War-era bases, and significantly strengthen U.S. defenses in the strategically vital region. His concerns come as climate change continues to melt Arctic ice, opening new shipping lanes and access to energy resources while creating new military routes.

“The only thing authoritarian regimes that are our adversaries understand is power,” Sullivan emphasized. “That’s U.S. energy security, Coast Guard, military assets and infrastructure.”

The Arctic’s strategic importance has grown considerably in recent years. As chairman of the Senate Commerce Coast Guard subcommittee, Sullivan secured funding for the new Storis icebreaker vessel to be home-ported in Juneau, along with plans for 16 additional icebreakers and $4.5 billion in shorefront infrastructure. This represents a significant portion of the record $25 billion total investment in Coast Guard capabilities.

The disparity in Arctic capabilities between the U.S. and Russia is stark. While the U.S. currently has only two icebreakers—one of which is out of service—Russia maintains a fleet of 54 icebreaker craft that are “nuclear-powered and weaponized,” according to Sullivan.

In a significant development, Sullivan revealed that the World War II-era base on Adak in the Aleutian Chain is on track to be reopened. He has secured $115 million to begin rebuilding the facility, which closed in 1994 after the Cold War ended. The base’s strategic location, just a few hundred miles east of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, makes it invaluable for monitoring activities in the region.

Additionally, $500 million has been allocated to establish a deepwater port in Nome, one of the closest American cities to both Russia and the Arctic Ocean. The state of Alaska has matched this investment and contributed $30 million of its own funds toward the new Adak project.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy emphasized the importance of these investments, noting that “supporting life-saving missions and countering foreign influence in the Arctic are vital not only to our state but to the nation as a whole.”

Brent Sadler, a naval warfare expert at the Heritage Foundation, added that the Arctic and Antarctic regions are also critical for space-based sensors that detect long-range missile attacks. “China and Russia have impacted our fishermen’s livelihoods with military exercises in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone)… it needs to be deterred and pushed back on appropriately with an increased Coast Guard presence,” Sadler said.

China’s self-designation as a “near-Arctic power” has raised concerns among U.S. officials, especially given the country’s actual geographic location. NATO commander USAF Gen. Alexus Grynkewich has warned that China’s expanding “research” presence in the region is becoming increasingly aggressive.

As these security challenges mount, Sullivan stressed that the U.S. must continue to strengthen its Arctic capabilities, praising recent progress while emphasizing the need for continued vigilance. “We’ve got to keep pedal-to-the-metal,” he said, adding that “big flashy speeches without backing it up with military force don’t really mean anything.”