
The Defense Department needs to begin honing its focus on military needs in the Arctic to help protect U.S. interests in the region amid a buildup of Russian military activities and increased interest from China, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) says in its defense policy bill published last Thursday. The bill, the SASC’s version of the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, would establish the Arctic Security Initiative (ASI) that directs DoD to improve “coordination in achieving U.S.…