Orlando, February 18, 2010—Gen. Gene Renuart, who leads NORAD and US Northern Command, noted that that upcoming changes in the Arctic region—more sea lanes opening from melting ice with accompanying territorial and resource disputes—will create “stress and competition.” However, in addressing AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium, he also said the situation could lead to expanded partnership activities with Canada, Russia, Denmark, Norway, and other nations. Renuart said DOD and the State Department are working together to develop “a national strategy that is more clear.” For starters, though, he advocates applying some lessons from USAF support to Antarctic operations, including generating better communications, situational awareness, and command and control capabilities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week released strategies meant to focus the Pentagon’s “alphabet soup” of innovation organizations and proliferate artificial intelligence—moves that experts say could provide the structure needed to make the military’s efforts to integrate and field new technology more effective.

