A deepwater port in Alaska’s Arctic is essential for U.S. national security

OPINION: As shipping increases in a melting Arctic, U.S. national security concerns justify spending in infrastructure upgrades to make Nome a true deepwater port.

While cooperation has been a hallmark of Arctic relations between the United States and Russia, it is important to consider national security due to increased competition between the two nations. The opening up of navigable Arctic shipping routes puts the U.S. at a severe disadvantage, suggesting the need for the U.S. government to consider using federal funds to establish an Arctic deepwater port in Alaska.