Arctic Sentry: A Turning Point for NATO in the High North?
Following NATO’s recent launch of “Arctic Sentry”—a new effort to coordinate Arctic military exercises under a unified command—there are growing questions about what it means for U.S.–European relations, Russia’s war in Ukraine and escalating tensions surrounding Greenland.
Two experts at Syracuse University are available to discuss this topic. Please see their information below. If you’d like to schedule an interview, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.
can discuss the significance of this development, what it means for NATO cohesion and how Arctic security is evolving as a strategic flashpoint. Judge Baker is the director of the and a professor in the College of Law and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He also serves as a judge on the Data Protection Review Court.
Retired Vice Admiral is the deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law and a professor of practice in the Maxwell School. Murrett is an expert in national security, military and defense strategy, international relations and more. He shared his thoughts below.
Murrett writes: “NATO Exercise ARCTIC SENTRY is underway, and reflects renewed emphasis on joint and combined exercise activity in the Arctic region for the NATO Alliance. NATO Allied Command Operations and Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk) have responsibility for the exercise activity, which incorporates ongoing exercises, including Denmark’s ARCTIC ENDURANCE and Norway’s COLD RESPONSE. The exercise activity also will also take into account recent changes which include Finland, Sweden and Denmark in the Area of Responsibility for JFC Norfolk, and to evaluate command and control effectiveness in the High North with participation by more than fourteen NATO nations.
“ARCTIC SENTRY also builds on a strong history of combined air, land and sea operations by the NATO Alliance in the North Atlantic and northern Europe. The JFC Norfolk commander, Vice Admiral Doug Perry, is also the commander of the U.S. Second Fleet, which was formerly designated as NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic, with parallels to their current JFC responsibilities.
“At the same time, reports that the U.S. is considering giving up command of JFC Norfolk are noteworthy, as such a move may reflect a downturn in U.S. engagement in command structure, the Arctic and second-order impacts on transatlantic maritime capability as well as the U.S.-Canada NORAD Command and SACEUR. In the months ahead, developments in this area, as well as any changes to the U.S. Unified Command Plan, will send strong signals regarding our overall security posture in northern latitudes.”
