U.S. Coast Guard releases Arctic Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan

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Oct. 26, 2023

WASHINGTON – The Coast Guard released the Arctic Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan in Washington Thursday. 

The implementation plan outlines 14 interconnected, action-oriented initiatives the Coast Guard will undertake to execute strategic objectives from the 2019 Arctic Strategic Outlook.  These efforts promote safety, security, stewardship and protect sovereign rights across the Arctic while supporting the National Strategy for the Arctic Region.  

The Coast Guard has long supported joint Arctic operations and exercises and our presence in the Arctic enables the Service to operationalize national strategies, strengthen partnerships and protect regional interests. 

“The Coast Guard is committed to a safe, secure and cooperative Arctic,” said Coast Guard Vice Commandant Adm. Steve Poulin. “Our continued presence strengthens maritime governance and stewardship in the region and is vital to ensuring national security and economic prosperity.” 

The Coast Guard’s mission in the Arctic has endured for more than 150 years, since the inaugural voyage of revenue cutters to Alaska in 1867. Today, the Arctic is experiencing unprecedented levels of environmental, operational and geostrategic stress requiring a collaborative approach to overtake these complex challenges. The Coast Guard’s Arctic Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan embodies this approach by directing actions to safeguard American interests and highlighting the Coast Guard’s prominent leadership role in international organizations responsible for regulating navigation, coordinating search and rescue operations, ensuring vessel safety, enforcing fisheries regulations and responding to environmental pollution incidents throughout the expansive Arctic region.  

The United States is an Arctic Nation, and the Coast Guard continues to serve as the lead federal agency for homeland security, safety and environmental stewardship in the region.  