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    Icebreakers as a Tool for American Power Projection in the Alaskan Arctic

    Cover for Icebreakers as a Tool for American Power Projection in the Alaskan Arctic
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    View/Open: Britt Thesis.pdf (595kB) Bookview

    Creator
    Britt, Brian
    Abstract
    The Arctic environment is changing. In the era of great-power competition, China, Russia, the United States, and others are expanding their capabilities to operate in the Alaskan Arctic. Key among the tools used to do this are icebreakers, vessels capable of cutting through thick ice sheets that blanket Arctic waters for most of the year. The United States’ relatively small and outdated icebreaker fleet is a frequent topic of discussion within political, policymaking, and military circles but there exists little analysis on why icebreakers are important for facilitating American activities in the Alaskan Arctic and if the neglected nature of the United States’ icebreaker fleet is legitimate cause for concern. Drawing on interviews with key personnel across the public and private sectors and domestic and international literature, this thesis contributes to a growing understanding of the role icebreakers play in facilitating American power projection in the Alaskan Arctic both as a symbol and as a tool to fulfill practical defense, homeland security, and economic missions. This thesis seeks to understand to what degree the United States is truly deficient in its icebreaking capabilities.
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10822/1062171
    Date Published
    2021-05
    Rights
    Subject
    Arctic; Icebreakers; Alaskan Arctic; Climate Change; Ice-capable Vessel; Exclusive Economic Zone; Peer competitor; USCG; Exclusive Economic Zone; Russia; China; Arktika; USA; Polar Security Cutters; Northern Europe; Canada; The Nathaniel B Palmer; National Defense Authorization Act; Antarctic; European Arctic;
    Type
    Thesis
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    • Science Technology and International Affairs (STIA)
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    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2023 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
    Accessibility