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As global competition intensifies across the northern latitudes, the Arctic is no longer seen as a remote frontier—it has emerged as a vital operational theater for U.S. homeland defense and power projection. From Feb. 24–27, the Society of American Military Engineers Anchorage Post hosted the Arctic Industry Forum, drawing more than 200 military and civilian professionals to examine Arctic infrastructure, energy resilience, and emergency logistics.
Staff from the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies participated throughout the event, with Associate Director for Strategic Engagement Matthew Hickey delivering an opening overview on Arctic strategy and emerging security issues that framed the three-day agenda.
While infrastructure and science were central to many sessions, the conversations quickly evolved into something deeper: how Arctic expertise and operational capabilities are no longer regional concerns—they’re essential components of national and international defense planning.
The Arctic as a theater—and a gateway
At the heart of the forum was the concept of the “Arctic Pacific”—a growing recognition that Alaska’s infrastructure, engineering knowledge, and strategic location directly support North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command operations.
“I was surprised to see how many people were centering their discussion around the Arctic Pacific as a region with its own role to play in U.S. security,” Moerbe said. “Every breakout group or briefing that I attended was strongly tied to defense directly or infrastructure that could be considered dual-use.”
From pre-positioned airfield repair kits at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to runway construction techniques adaptable to both Arctic and Pacific climates, Moerbe said the forum helped highlight how Arctic solutions are increasingly “exportable” to address contingency planning and power projection challenges in the Western Pacific.
“These projects aren’t just about Alaska,” he said. “They’re part of a broader effort to support the fight elsewhere, especially in the INDOPACOM theater.”
That overlap is already fueling new research efforts at the TSC. Moerbe is currently leading a policy paper focused on maritime logistics in the Aleutian chain, aligning infrastructure development with the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations concept. A colleague is developing a parallel analysis based on the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) model.
“We both think that the Arctic and Alaska’s Aleutian chain hold some potential to resolve that problem,” he said. “And this forum helped us identify where research is already underway—and where there are still gaps.”
Supporting USNORTHCOM and strengthening deterrence
As the Department of Defense’s Regional Center for Arctic security studies, the TSC directly supports USNORTHCOM’s Arctic mission and broader homeland defense responsibilities. The center also creates a unique space where warfighters, engineers, researchers, and policy professionals can engage on issues that often remain stove piped within separate agencies.
“The combatant commands need not view each other as competitors for resources,” Moerbe said. “They can solve some of each other’s problems through coordinated effort in this Arctic-Pacific region.”
That coordination reflects the Secretary of Defense’s strategic priorities: Restoring the Warrior Ethos, Rebuilding Our Military, and Reestablishing Deterrence. For Moerbe, that means ensuring operational planning and strategic thinking remain rooted in the reality of what can be built, sustained, and defended.
“As an Army officer, I would not normally have a reason or the opportunity to interact with the industry people that can say it’s possible—or it’s not possible—to build something here,” he said. “This gave me the opportunity to hear from the experts… and for them to hear from me about what I need as the person who’s going to be utilizing the hardware or the infrastructure.”
Moerbe also emphasized the value of these kinds of engagements in identifying operational challenges that don’t always make it up through formal acquisition channels.
“It can be an effective way of alerting industry to problems that the warfighter at lower echelon might experience or might be grappling with,” he said.
Innovation and infrastructure in the High North
Throughout the forum, speakers addressed the unique engineering, logistical, and energy-related challenges of operating in the Arctic. Permafrost degradation, seismic instability, and austere supply chains make infrastructure development far more difficult—and expensive—than in other regions.
Dr. Haliehana Stepetin, a faculty member at the TSC, said that Alaska’s infrastructure suffers from a lack of redundancy. “Much of Alaska’s critical infrastructure serves as the ‘only’ one of its kind,” she explained, referencing roads, railways, and ports. “Resilience in the Arctic context… can be understood as the ability to withstand, endure, and recover from destruction.”
Innovative solutions were also presented—ranging from 3D-printed construction materials to alternative concrete mixtures designed for cold-weather environments. But across every discussion, one truth remained: Arctic readiness is not optional. It is a prerequisite for national defense.
A warfighter’s perspective on the way ahead
For Moerbe the experience of attending the Arctic Industry Forum through the Ted Stevens Center was transformative. It bridged the gap between tactical-level experience and strategic-level planning, giving him tools to influence future military decision-making from a position grounded in both research and reality.
“I don’t think I understood the value without being physically present at this event and having a chance to be around people who are motivated to solve similar kinds of problems,” he said. “It would only be partially successful if we didn’t have military members present at these things—because they’re the ones that are on the ground.”
As the Department of Defense continues to adapt to new security challenges in the Arctic and beyond, Moerbe believes the Ted Stevens Center is helping prepare the next generation of warfighters and leaders—not just to think differently, but to plan and act decisively.
“That’s how we build readiness,” he said. “That’s how we restore deterrence. And that’s how we secure the Arctic—and the Pacific—with one integrated mindset.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 19:22 |
| Story ID: | 494798 |
| Location: | ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bridging frontiers: How the TSC is reframing Arctic readiness for US warfighters, by Amber Kurka, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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