Russia and the US are two great powers who have strategic interest in the Arctic. Research indicates increased military activities in the Arctic and a security dilemma is up to topic in the region. To understand whether military or territorial disputes can become future threats in the Arctic, states' strategic interest in the Arctic needs to be investigated from a war science perspective.
To gain an understanding of the states' strategic use of military means in a marine environment, naval diplomacy will be used in the investigation to offer an understanding on how naval forces can utilize different Defence, Coercive, Symbolic or Supportive strategic value. By examining current Russian and US Arctic policy documents, and how the strategic values of naval diplomacy are described, can give an indication of how Russia’s and the US increased military in the Arctic can be understood.
The conclusions of the examination involve Russia's marine strategy as for infrastructure for readiness, possibility for all year around presence of naval forces regardless of season and delimiting of other powers ability of interaction in specific areas. The US marine strategy can be understood from aspects of a periodic presence and surveillance purposes, both with collaborative partners and to coerce other powers.