Abstract
As stated in the introduction of this volume, political shelter provides a framework for making recommendations about the relationship between small states and larger partners within an alliance (in this case the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)) as threats change. In the North Atlantic, a variety of threats, including strategic re-engagement between Russia and NATO, is occurring on a frenetic pace. At the same time, the near future of the region will undergo significant environmental modification that will open it to non-traditional players there, including rogue states (i.e. out of area), terrorists and criminals. This chapter makes a recommendation to utilize existing forces to answer sub-strategic threats by creating an additional command and control structure under NATO. Specifically, to meet hard security challenges created by the opening of the Trans-Arctic Route, NATO should create a sub-unified command in the region. Using the existing name Headquarters Joint Arctic Command, the new command’s responsibility would cover the portion of the North Atlantic herein termed the “West Nordic Security Zone” (WNSZ). HQ Joint Arctic Command would control ground and maritime forces from small states and autonomous areas in the North Atlantic, including a recommended newly constituted Icelandic security force.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Byers (2009).
- 2.
B. Finley, “US Navy Revives 2nd Fleet as Russians Patrol North Atlantic,“ Military.com, 25 Aug 2018, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/08/25/us-navy-revives-2nd-fleet-russians-patrol-north-atlantic.html.
- 3.
Søreide (July 12, 2016), Features, NATO in Context: Geopolitics and the Problem of Russian Power, Center for Complex Operations, Washington, D.C.
- 4.
Thorhallsson (2017), pp. 3–4.
- 5.
Thorhallsson (2018), pp. 61–82.
- 6.
Bailes and Kristmunder (2014), pp. 1–15. Institute of Public Administration and Politics, Reykjavik.
- 7.
American Battle Monuments Commission, Remembering the Aleutian Campaign of World War II, 2018, https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/remembering-aleutian-campaign-world-war-ii, accessed May 11, 2018.
- 8.
NATO, “Trident Juncture 2018, Media Resources. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_158620.htm, accessed October 31, 2018.
- 9.
Bailes (2015), pp. 23–41.
- 10.
Søreide (2016), p. 49, Features, NATO in Context: Geopolitics and the Problem of Russian Power, Center for Complex Operations, Washington, D.C.
- 11.
Arctic Council, “Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council,” Joint Communique of the Governments of the Arctic Countries on the Establishment of the Arctic Council. Ottawa, Canada, 1996. https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/bitstream/handle/11374/85/EDOCS-1752-v2-ACMMCA00_Ottawa_1996_Founding_Declaration.PDF?sequence=5&isAllowed=y. Accessed September 19, 1996.
- 12.
B. Thorhallsson, “A Small State Seeking Shelter: Iceland’s Search For Shelter. Small States and the New Security Environment. Policy brief no. 16, June 4, 2017. Paper presented at the conference “Small States and the Changing Global Order: New Zealand Faces the Future” at University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 3-4 June 2017
- 13.
Bailes and Kristmunder (2014), pp. 1–15. Institute of Public Administration and Politics, Reykjavik.
- 14.
D. Bilefsky, E. Bjarnason, “Woman Was Thrown into Ocean, Autopsy Says, In Murder that Shook Iceland,” New York Times, February 7, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/world/europe/iceland-murder-victim-birna-brjansdottir-autopsy.html.
- 15.
Parliament of Iceland, “Parliamentary Resolution on a National Security Policy for Iceland,” 145th legislative session 2015 – 2016, Parliamentary document 1166 – Case no. 327, No. 26/145.
- 16.
Hardarson (1985), pp. 297–316.
- 17.
S.B. Ómarsdóttir, “Sýn Íslendinga á utanríkis- og öryggismál,” [Icelanders Views on Foreign Affairs and Security], Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration (Stjórnmál & Stjórnsýsla) 1, no. 2.
- 18.
Byers, Who Owns the Arctic?
- 19.
P. Fontaine, “Icelanders Object to More Machine Guns For Cops,” The Reykjavik Grapevine, October 22, 2014, https://grapevine.is/news/2014/10/22/icelanders-object-to-more-machine-guns-for-cops/.
- 20.
P. Fontaine, “US Encouraged to Re-open Naval Air State in Iceland,” The Reykjavik Grapevine, August 3, 2016, https://grapevine.is/news/2016/08/03/us-encouraged-to-re-open-naval-air-station-in-iceland/.
- 21.
E. Þósson, “Police with Guns at All Future Public Gatherings in Iceland,” The Reykjavik Grapevine, June 13, 2017, https://grapevine.is/news/2017/06/13/police-with-guns-at-all-future-public-gatherings-in-iceland/.
- 22.
C. Welch, “Why Obama is the First President to Visit the Arctic,” National Geographic, September 1, 2015.
- 23.
B. Obama, “National Strategy for the Arctic Region,” The White House, Washington D.C., May 2013.
- 24.
Papp (2013).
- 25.
Office of the United States Department of Defence, “Report to Congress on Strategy to Protect United States National Security Interests in the Arctic Region,” OUSD (Policy), December 2016.
- 26.
L. Kyzer, “Disappointment and Protest Meet U.S. Secretary of State,” Icelandreview, February 16, 2019, https://www.icelandreview.com/news/disappointment-and-protest-meet-us-secretary-of-state/.
- 27.
J. Ćirić, “Expanded Accommodation ‘Does Not Mean Permanent Army Base’,” Icelandreview, July 31, 2019, https://www.icelandreview.com/news/expanded-accommodation-does-not-mean-permanent-army-base/.
- 28.
G. S. Einarsdóttir, “Pence Focused on Business and Defence During Iceland Visit,” Icelandreview, September 5, 2019, https://www.icelandreview.com/news/pence-focused-on-business-and-defence-during-iceland-visit/; G.S. Einarsdóttir, “US Navy Establishes Temporary Operations Centre in Keflavik,” Icelandreview, September 27, 2019, https://www.icelandreview.com/news/us-navy-establishes-temporary-operations-centre-in-keflavik/.
- 29.
A. Fontaine, “America Putting $57 Million Towards Icelandic Base,” The Reykjavik Grapevine, June 25, 2019, https://grapevine.is/news/2019/06/25/american-military-putting-57-million-towards-icelandic-base/.
References
Bailes A (2015) Small states and security: does size still matter? In: Baldersheim H, Keating M (eds) Small states in the Modern World: vulnerabilities and opportunities. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, pp 23–41
Bailes A, Kristmunder Ó (2014) Developments in Icelandic security policy. Icelandic Rev Polit Adm (Stjórnmál & Stjórnsýsla) 10(2):1–15
Byers M (2009) Who owns the Arctic? Understanding sovereignty disputes in the North. Douglas and McIntrye, Vancouver
Hardarson ÓT (1985) Icelandic security and foreign policy: the public attitude. Coop Confl XX(4):297–316
Papp R (2013) United States Coast Guard Arctic strategy. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Søreide IE (2016) NATO and the North Atlantic: revitalizing collective defence and the maritime domain. Prism 6(2):49
Thorhallsson B (2017) A small state seeking shelter: Iceland’s search for shelter, Small states and the changing global order: New Zealand faces the future. University of Canterbury, Christchurch
Thorhallsson B (2018) A small state in world politics: Iceland’s search for shelter. Icelandic Rev Polit Adm (Stjórnmál & Stjórnsýsla) 14(1):61–82, Special Issue on power and democracy in Iceland
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wheelersburg, R.P. (2021). North Atlantic Small State Security 2025: The West Nordic Security Zone. In: Brady, AM., Thorhallsson, B. (eds) Small States and the New Security Environment. The World of Small States, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51529-4_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51529-4_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51528-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51529-4
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)