The U.S. military has stationed around 130 soldiers and mobile rocket launchers on an uninhabited island in the Aleutian chain in western Alaska.
Activity Near U.S. Territory
This move follows increased activity by Russian and Chinese military forces near U.S. territory. Over the past week, eight Russian military aircraft and four warships, including two submarines, approached Alaska during joint Russian-Chinese military exercises, according to Ziare.
None of the aircraft violated U.S. airspace, and Pentagon officials have downplayed the incidents as non-threatening.
"This is not the first time we’ve seen Russian and Chinese activity near our borders, and it’s something we monitor closely," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. He added that the U.S. remains prepared to respond to any potential threats.
Accompanied by HIMARS
On September 12, as part of a “force projection operation,” the U.S. deployed troops to Shemya Island, roughly 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage. Accompanying the soldiers were two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a key piece of modern U.S. military equipment.
Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan confirmed that the U.S. military also deployed a guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard ship in response to Russia and China’s joint military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Sullivan emphasized the strategic importance of the Arctic, calling for greater military presence in the region.
Coast Guard officials reported that their national security vessel, Stratton, encountered four Russian ships, including submarines, near Point Hope, Alaska.
These vessels crossed into U.S. waters temporarily to avoid ice — a maneuver allowed under international law.
Sullivan has urged the U.S. Navy to reopen the long-closed Naval Air Facility Adak in the Aleutian Islands, citing the region’s growing significance in global military competition.
