The Arctic is strategic. Both the US and Canada (through NORAD) maintain military infrastructure across Yukon and Alaska.
Any change in political status has defense implications.
Current Military Presence:
Alaska (US):
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson — Major Air Force/Army base, Anchorage
- Eielson Air Force Base — F-35s, interior Alaska
- Fort Wainwright — Army, interior Alaska
- Clear Space Force Station — Missile warning radar
- Coast Guard — Significant presence
- Total military personnel: ~21,000+ active duty
Yukon (Canada):
- No major military bases
- Canadian Forces Station Whitehorse — Small presence
- Canadian Rangers — Indigenous reservists patrolling vast territories
- NORAD Forward Operating Locations (can be activated)
- Total military personnel: Minimal
The Defense Relationship:
NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command):
- Joint US-Canada command
- Headquarters: Colorado Springs
- Monitors North American airspace
- Alaska and Yukon already under unified aerospace defense
The DEW Line Legacy:
- Distant Early Warning radar stations built during Cold War
- Many decommissioned, some upgraded to North Warning System
- Environmental contamination at abandoned sites still being cleaned up
Current Threats:
- Russian long-range aviation (bombers periodically approach airspace)
- Cruise missiles (potential Arctic routes)
- Ballistic missiles (over-the-pole trajectories)
- Chinese interest in Arctic (emerging concern)
What Integration Would Mean:
If Alaska becomes Canadian territory:
Option A: US Bases Remain (Lease Agreement)
- Similar to US bases in allied countries
- Alaska remains defended
- Complicated sovereignty questions
Option B: Transition to Canadian Defense
- Gradual handover
- Significant Canadian defense investment required
- Current Canadian Forces couldn't immediately replace US presence
Option C: Enhanced NORAD
- Already joint command
- Could become more integrated
- Alaska as Canadian territory but joint defense
The Honest Assessment:
Canada does not currently have the military capacity to defend Alaska.
The Canadian Forces are stretched thin. Arctic capabilities are limited. Equipment procurement is slow.
If Alaska became Canadian tomorrow, defense would be a challenge.
This is a real issue. Integration would need to include:
- Transition period with continued US presence
- Significant Canadian defense investment
- Enhanced NORAD arrangements
- Possibly new collective defense agreements
Indigenous Veterans and Rangers:
Indigenous peoples serve in both US and Canadian militaries at disproportionate rates.
The Canadian Rangers — primarily Indigenous — patrol vast Arctic territories that conventional forces can't cover.
Any defense arrangement should recognize and expand Indigenous roles in northern defense.
Discussion Questions:
- Can Canada realistically defend an expanded Arctic territory?
- Should US bases remain in a Canadian Alaska? Under what terms?
- How do we address Cold War environmental contamination (abandoned DEW sites)?
- What role should Indigenous peoples play in northern defense?
- Does the current threat environment make integration easier or harder?