Oil patch insider: Murkowski promotes Ted Stevens Arctic security center

Petroleum News

In honor of what would have been U.S. Senator Ted Stevens’ ninety-sixth birthday, U.S. Senator Murkowski, R-Alaska, raised attention to an issue that was significant to him - the importance of the Arctic and a strong national defense to Alaska and the nation.

Murkowski highlighted legislation she introduced with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to create a new Department of Defense, or DoD, Regional Center for Security Studies for the Arctic, which would be named in Stevens’ honor.

The center, as Murkowski explained, would advance defense readiness, develop Arctic awareness, and improve allies and partner capabilities. With the growing prominence of the Arctic in global geopolitical and strategic affairs, Murkowski stressed the urgent need to give DoD the necessary tools and support to foster research and dialogues that will be critical to our nation’s national security.

The primary goals of the Ted Stevens Arctic Security Studies Center would be to find solutions for the greatest security challenges of the Circumpolar Arctic region while promoting greater engagement to addressing the challenges that lay ahead.

The DoD currently has five academic Regional Centers for Security Studies which cover the regions of Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Near East-South Asia, and Northern Hemisphere. The centers aim to support defense strategy objectives and policy priorities through a unique academia forum and to foster strong international networks of security leaders.