Arctic spending

The Defense Department has allocated about $6 billion toward its activities in the Arctic in fiscal year 2017, according to a new report to Congress.

The June report, released Sept. 23 by the Defense Department, "provides costs for research, military infrastructure, and capabilities assessed by Geographic Combatant Commands and the Military Departments to be located in the Arctic, dedicated to Arctic missions, or likely to be employed in the Arctic in defense of North America or North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies."

The biggest chunk -- about $5.2 billion -- would go to support activities at bases in Alaska including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, Ft. Wainwright, Clear Air Force Station and Ft. Greely, as well as Thule Air Base in Greenland and other locations around the world.

DOD is also proposing spending about $461 million "in research projects related to the implementation of the 2013 Arctic Strategy, mostly in research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) funding to improve surveillance of the northern approaches to North America; enhance communications with military units that may be operating in the Arctic; and develop next-generation radar systems for the polar region." Additionally, the department is spending money to develop models to support sea ice forecasting, according to the report.

The Pentagon also wants to spend about $362 million on military construction projects supporting the use of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and unmanned aerial systems in Alaska, as well as a P-8A aircraft hangar in Iceland.

Read the full report here.