1. Northern Europe's Arctic Defence Agenda
- Author:
- David Rudd
- Publication Date:
- 05-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of Military and Strategic Studies
- Institution:
- Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
- Abstract:
- During the 1970s and 1980s, the land, air, and maritime spaces above the Arctic Circle were considered by allied planners to be of immense strategic importance. The possibility of a nuclear exchange between the super-powers transiting over the polar regions spurred efforts to maintain a robust early warning and aerospace defence posture. The need to counter Soviet naval and air movements in the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic likewise prompted NATO allies to adopt defence strategies that would proactively engage Soviet forces close to their bases, while reinforcing NATO's northern flank with rapidly-deployable ground and air units. Although the non-aligned Nordic states firmly maintained their status, there is some evidence to suggest that they were not aloof from the East-West stand-off, and were consulted on territorial defence planning by their NATO neighbours.
- Topic:
- NATO
- Political Geography:
- North Atlantic and Soviet Union