In response to increased Russian military activities near Alaska, the US military has bolstered its presence in the region by deploying a destroyer, stationing an Army unit with long-range missile capabilities, and placing fighter squadrons and other aircraft on high alert.
In recent weeks, the US Navy destroyer USS Sterett has been stationed off the Alaskan coastline to counter Russian naval vessels’ maneuvers in the area. The US Army has also deployed troops to a remote island in Alaska to increase military readiness.
Additionally, fighter squadrons and other aircraft based in Alaska have been placed on heightened alert in response to repeated intercepts of Russian surveillance planes near US airspace, according to Politico.
These deployments and alerts coincide with the launch of a large-scale joint Chinese and Russian military exercise, Ocean 2024, in the Sea of Japan.
This exercise, involving dozens of warships and over 120 naval aircraft, has further escalated regional tensions and prompted the US to bolster its defensive posture.
As previously reported by the EurAsian Times, approximately 130 soldiers from the US Army’s 11th Airborne Division, along with the 1st and 3rd Multi-Domain Task Forces, have been deployed to Shemya, one of the US-controlled Aleutian Islands located around 1,200 miles west of Anchorage.
These deployments, initially planned as part of regular exercises, have gained new significance in the context of the heightened military activities in the region.
The forces on Shemya are equipped with High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) sourced from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and advanced radar systems capable of tracking aerial threats.
