Arctic Security Initiative Act of 2021
Bill: S.2294 | Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan (R-AK)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Arctic Security Initiative Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct an assessment and implement a program related to national security interests in the Arctic region.
Specifically, the Commander of the United States Northern Command of DOD must consult and coordinate with specified defense entities to conduct an independent assessment with respect to the activities and resources required for FY2023-FY2027 to achieve specified objectives related to national security interests in the Arctic region.
The assessment must focus on the activities and resources required to achieve the following objectives:
Additionally, DOD must establish the Arctic Security Initiative program to enhance security in the Arctic region, to be informed by the assessment required by this bill. DOD must annually submit an unclassified future years plan, which may include a classified annex, for the activities and resources of the program that includes specified elements (e.g., a detailed time line for achieving requirements). The plan must also be included in budget materials submitted by DOD in support of the budget of the President for FY2023.

To require an independent assessment with respect to the Arctic region 
    and establishment of Arctic Security Initiative, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Arctic Security Initiative Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the security, stability, and prosperity of the Arctic 
        region are vital to the national interests of the United 
        States;
            (2) the United States should posture a military capability 
        in the region that is able to project power, deter acts of 
        aggression, and respond, if necessary, to threats within and 
        arising from the Arctic region;
            (3) the defense of the United States and its allies from 
        the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the 
        Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and any other aggressor 
        remains a top priority;
            (4) persistent efforts by the Department of Defense to 
        realign United States forces in the Arctic region, and commit 
        additional assets to and increase investments in the Arctic 
        region, are necessary to maintain a robust United States 
        commitment to the Arctic region;
            (5) the United States commitment to freedom of navigation 
        and ensuring free access to sea lanes and overflights for the 
        Navy and the Air Force remains a core security interest; and
            (6) the United States should continue to engage in the 
        Arctic region by--
                    (A) strengthening alliances and partnerships;
                    (B) supporting regional institutions and bodies 
                such as the Arctic Council;
                    (C) building cooperative security arrangements;
                    (D) addressing shared challenges; and
                    (E) reinforcing the role of international law, 
                including respect for human rights.

SEC. 3. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than February 15, 2022, the Commander of 
the United States Northern Command, in consultation and coordination 
with the Commanders of the United States European Command and the 
United States Indo-Pacific Command, the military departments, and 
defense agencies, shall conduct an independent assessment with respect 
to the activities and resources required, for fiscal years 2023 through 
2027, to achieve the following objectives:
            (1) The implementation of the National Defense Strategy and 
        military service-specific strategies with respect to the Arctic 
        region.
            (2) The maintenance or restoration of the comparative 
        military advantage of the United States in response to great 
        power competitors in the Arctic region.
            (3) The reduction of the risk of executing operation and 
        contingency plans of the Department of Defense.
            (4) To maximize execution of Department operation and 
        contingency plans, in the event deterrence fails.
    (b) Elements.--The assessment required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) An analysis of, and recommended changes to achieve, the 
        required force structure and posture of assigned and allocated 
        forces within the Arctic region for fiscal year 2027 necessary 
        to achieve the objectives described in subsection (a), which 
        shall be informed by--
                    (A) a review of United States military requirements 
                based on operation and contingency plans, capabilities 
                of potential adversaries, assessed gaps or shortfalls 
                of the Armed Forces within the Arctic region, and 
                scenarios that consider--
                            (i) potential contingencies that commence 
                        in the Arctic region and contingencies that 
                        commence in other regions but affect the Arctic 
                        region;
                            (ii) use of near-time, mid-time, and far-
                        time horizons to encompass the range of 
                        circumstances required to test new concepts and 
                        doctrine; and
                            (iii) supporting analyses that focus on the 
                        number of regionally postured military units 
                        and the quality of capability of such units;
                    (B) a review of current United States military 
                force posture and deployment plans within the Arctic 
                region, especially of Arctic-based forces that provide 
                support to, or receive support from, the United States 
                Northern Command, the United States Indo-Pacific 
                Command, or the United States European Command;
                    (C) an analysis of potential future realignments of 
                United States forces in the region, including options 
                for strengthening United States presence, access, 
                readiness, training, exercises, logistics, and pre-
                positioning; and
                    (D) any other matter the Commander of the United 
                States Northern Command determines to be appropriate.
            (2) A discussion of any factor that may influence the 
        United States posture, supported by annual wargames and other 
        forms of research and analysis.
            (3) An assessment of capabilities requirements to achieve 
        such objectives.
            (4) An assessment of logistics requirements, including 
        personnel, equipment, supplies, storage, and maintenance needs 
        to achieve such objectives.
            (5) An assessment and identification of required 
        infrastructure and military construction investments to achieve 
        such objectives.
            (6) An assessment of security cooperation activities or 
        resources required to achieve such objectives.
            (7) An assessment and recommended changes to the 
        leadership, organization, and management of Arctic policy, 
        strategy, and operations among the combatant commands and 
        military services.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than February 15, 2022, the 
        Commander of United States Northern Command, in consultation 
        and coordination with the Commanders of the United States 
        European Command and the United States Indo-Pacific Command, 
        shall submit to the congressional defense committees (as 
        defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) a 
        report on the assessment required by subsection (a).
            (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) may be 
        submitted in classified form, but shall include an unclassified 
        summary.
            (3) Availability.--Not later than February 15, 2022, the 
        Commander of the United States Northern Command shall make the 
        report available to the Secretary of Defense, the Under 
        Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of Defense 
        (Comptroller), the Director of Cost Assessment and Program 
        Evaluation, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the 
        Secretaries of the military departments, and the chiefs of 
        staff of each military service.

SEC. 4. ARCTIC SECURITY INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program 
of activities to enhance security in the Arctic region, which shall be 
known as the ``Arctic Security Initiative'' (referred to in this 
section as the ``Initiative'').
    (b) Objectives.--The Initiative's development and subsequent 
implementation shall be--
            (1) consistent with the objectives described in section 
        3(a); and
            (2) informed by the assessment required by that section.
    (c) Activities.--The Initiative shall carry out the following 
prioritized activities to improve the design and posture of the joint 
force in the Arctic region:
            (1) Modernize and strengthen the presence of the Armed 
        Forces, including those with advanced capabilities.
            (2) Improve logistics and maintenance capabilities and the 
        pre-positioning of equipment, munitions, fuel, and materiel.
            (3) Carry out a program of exercises, wargames, education, 
        training, experimentation, and innovation for the joint force.
            (4) Improve infrastructure to enhance the responsiveness 
        and resiliency of the Armed Forces.
            (5) Build the defense and security capabilities, capacity, 
        and cooperation of allies and partners.
            (6) Strengthen Arctic consultative mechanisms and 
        collaborative planning.
    (d) Five-Year Plan for the Initiative.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than April 15, 2022, and each 
        February 15 thereafter, the Secretary of Defense, in 
        consultation with the Commanders of the United States Northern 
        Command, the United States European Command, and the United 
        States Indo-Pacific Command shall submit to the congressional 
        defense committees a future years plan for the activities and 
        resources of the Initiative that includes the following:
                    (A) A description of the activities and resources 
                for the first fiscal year beginning after the date of 
                on which the report required by section 3(c) is 
                submitted and the plan for not fewer than the four 
                following fiscal years, organized by the activities 
                described in subsection (c).
                    (B) A summary of progress made towards achieving 
                the objectives described in section 3(a).
                    (C) A summary of the activity, resource, 
                capability, infrastructure, and logistics requirements 
                necessary to achieve measurable progress in reducing 
                risk to the ability of the joint force to achieve 
                objectives in the Arctic region, including through 
                investments in--
                            (i) active and passive defenses against--
                                    (I) manned aircraft, surface 
                                vessels, and submarines;
                                    (II) unmanned naval systems;
                                    (III) unmanned aerial systems; and
                                    (IV) theater cruise, ballistic, and 
                                hypersonic missiles;
                            (ii) advanced long-range precision strike 
                        systems;
                            (iii) command, control, communications, 
                        computers, intelligence, surveillance, and 
                        reconnaissance systems;
                            (iv) training and test range capacity, 
                        capability, and coordination;
                            (v) dispersed resilient and adaptive basing 
                        to support distributed operations, including 
                        expeditionary airfields and ports, space launch 
                        facilities, and command posts;
                            (vi) advanced critical munitions;
                            (vii) pre-positioned forward stocks of 
                        fuel, munitions, equipment, and materiel;
                            (viii) distributed logistics and 
                        maintenance capabilities;
                            (ix) strategic mobility assets, including 
                        icebreakers;
                            (x) improved interoperability, logistics, 
                        transnational supply lines and infrastructure, 
                        and information sharing with allies and 
                        partners, including scientific missions;
                            (xi) information operations capabilities;
                            (xii) bilateral and multilateral military 
                        exercises and training with allies and 
                        partners; and
                            (xiii) use of security cooperation 
                        authorities to further build partner capacity.
                    (D) A detailed timeline for achieving the 
                requirements identified under subparagraph (C).
                    (E) A detailed explanation of any significant 
                modification to such requirements, as compared to the 
                Commander of the United States Northern Command's 
                initial independent assessment for the first fiscal 
                year and to plans previously submitted for each 
                subsequent fiscal year.
                    (F) Any other matter the Secretary of Defense 
                considers necessary.
            (2) Form.--The plan required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
        annex.
            (3) Inclusion in budget materials.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall include such plan in the budget materials 
        submitted by the Secretary in support of the budget of the 
        President for fiscal year 2023 (submitted pursuant to section 
        1105 of title 31, United States Code).

SEC. 5. GENERAL TRANSFER AUTHORITY.

    Funds may be made available to carry out this Act through the 
transfer authority provided to the Department of Defense.
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