China, in 1994, purchased from Ukraine, a new icebreaker built by Kherson shipyard. The ship named "Snow dragon" and regularly goes to the Arctic expedition.
In December 2016 at a Chinese shipyard was laid a new icebreaker, designed by Finnish (Finland builds more than half of modern icebreakers in the entire planet). He will take part in Arctic expeditions in 2019, and will be the first in the world who can break through ice thickness of 1.5 meters in her bow and stern.
The press service of the Academy of military Sciences of the people's liberation army of China announced in April 2013 that China plans to build nuclear-powered icebreakers, and in early August 2016, it was announced that his development has already begun. Construction will take about two years. Now, the nuclear icebreakers are only in Russian, with the commissioning of a Chinese nuclear-powered icebreaker Moscow will lose this monopoly.
China has opened the Svalbard research station (calling it "yellow river", the name of the main river-the symbol of China), created "the polar research Institute of China" and received the observer status in the Arctic Council. In the North of Russia China invests in the project Yamal LNG and in other oil and gas projects. Military preparations in the melting ice had gone on increasing. Although the first, in 2007, realized what was happening and began to action Canada.
August 8, 2007, a few days after the publication of data on the record reduction in ice cover, the Prime Minister of Canada went to a 3 day trip across the Arctic regions of the country. The tour coincided with the large-scale exercises of the canadian forces in the North. Thus, Canada immediately announced that it was ready to defend its territory and by force of arms. In 2007, Canada has conducted four military exercises in the Arctic region with the participation of all units of the armed forces. Began construction of the first military facilities — a training center and a deepwater port for the armed forces. Immediately commenced patrolling the most remote Arctic territories of the special forces with a total of 1,500 soldiers, mostly from the Eskimos. Now the indigenous people of the North – the Eskimos (Inuit as they are called in Canada) is actively involved in the service of the canadian Rangers. In 2012-2014, Canada increased the number of regularly patrolling the region units to 5-7 thousand people.
In 2008, launched a military satellite system "RADARSAT-2", which monitors what is happening in the Arctic. Since 2008, Canada has begun to conduct in the Arctic, regular exercises. Since August 2010 the annual Arctic exercises by the canadian armed forces are held with the participation of the naval forces of the United States and Denmark. Canada has adopted a program of modernization of its fleet with funding of $ 33 billion and an explicit Arctic slope construction of warships. In the same 2007, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, science and transportation approved a bill to allocate $ 8 billion the United States coast guard, which is mandated to explore the Arctic and assert the claims of the country on the wealth of the region. Since 2009, in the American Arctic are regularly held military exercises.
In 2009, Norway moved its operational command of the southern region of the country in the circumpolar region and adopted a plan of modernization of its strike aircraft.
Denmark announced a strategic priority for the formation of the Arctic division of his troops. In 2009 was created a separate Armed forces of Greenland, owned by Denmark's autonomy. 31 Oct 2012 it was formed Arctic command by combining the Island command Greenland with the command of the Faroe Islands (another Danish remote Arctic autonomy).
In 2010, Norway proposed the idea of creating a defensive Alliance of five States – Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden to strengthen their military positions in the Arctic. This initiative has received in the media called a "mini-NATO". It was supported by the UK. In January 2011, London hosted a Nordic summit to discuss the prospects posed by regional organizations. It was attended by the representatives of great Britain, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and, especially significant, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This opens up the possibility that all the Western countries of the Baltic sea will unite in the fight for the Arctic Ocean. Since 2006, Estonia and Latvia participate in regularly conducted in the polar regions of Norway and Sweden the exercise Cold Response. In total, they involved forces of 16 countries: Norway, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
The participation of Switzerland is particularly noteworthy. It shows the level of attention to what is happening in the Arctic, the willingness of the world's leading players to join the struggle for the redivision of the status quo.
List the military and diplomatic preparations in different countries can be very long, the news about this are coming every day. Russia was involved in a race war for the Arctic later. But very actively. And now it belongs to her superiority in terms of increasing military activity. For example, Russia has in the Arctic with a fleet of forty-breakers, including six nuclear.
In America, only two diesel-powered icebreaker, both old, and only one of them able to cut through thick ice. May 24, 2016, the U.S. Senate Committee on appropriations has allocated $ 1 billion to build a new heavy icebreaker, the first for twenty years. The icebreaker will be modern and very expensive. For comparison, the budget for the construction of a new ultra-modern Chinese icebreaker will amount to $ 153 million, and the process will take about two years. The construction of Chinese nuclear-powered icebreaker will cost 134 million euros. However, the Russian icebreaker fleet still developing ahead of us. June 10 2 years the stocks of the St. Petersburg "Admiralty shipyards" came a new icebreaker, which can simultaneously perform ice wiring warships and functions of the patrol ship. It was built just a year. Overall, it is expected or is building seven new icebreakers.
On March 12 the Ministry of defense of Russia announced the testing of "new and promising models of weapons, military and special equipment in the Arctic" during the March in 2200 miles on the ice cover of the Laptev sea. Military experienced military equipment in Arctic conditions, when the temperature dropped to minus 60 degrees. Polar war prepare all kind of troops. The Northern fleet infantry are trained to ride dogs and deer.
Russia has more Arctic bases than any other country. In 2017 Russia, as stated by the Ministry of defence, will be built in the Arctic more than 100 military installations, including airfields, radar stations and air defense military base "Arctic Shamrock" on the Franz Josef Land, it is the world's only facility under construction at 80 degrees North latitude. Recently, he was commissioned a military base of "North Clover" on the island of Kotelny in the archipelago of the Novosibirsk Islands.
The West is very concerned about the military activity of Russia in recent years trying to reduce the gap. So, in mid-March, it was reported that NATO will hold military exercises of NATO forces in the Arctic near the Norwegian border with Russia. Part 8-strong force of NATO will enter the Norwegian, American and British Marines. In news reports it is emphasized that "maneuvers designed to demonstrate to Russia NATO's ability to defend Norway from Putin's aggression."
as governments have been doing, but at a faster pace.