The U.S. military is responding after Russia and China increased their military activity near Alaska. 

The U.S. military deployed 130 Army airborne soldiers with mobile rocket launchers earlier this month to the Aleutian Islands of western Alaska. The action comes after Russia and China conducted joint military exercises close to Alaska.

“There's been naval exercises, there has been joint flyovers … not necessarily our airspace, but identification airspace, which is between the Russian airspace and our airspace,” Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said, adding that the military activity near Alaska is “becoming more frequent.”  

Earlier this month, Russia and China carried out a week of joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan. On Monday, the U.S. Naval Institute reported that the U.S. "detected Russian aircraft operating in the Alaska air-defense identification zone.”

“I think these are, you know, chess cases and probes,” Dunleavy said of Russia and China’s actions. “But because of the instability in the world, and to some degree, I think some of these countries are questioning America's resolve, [so] you may be seeing more of these activities in the future.”

Mainland Russia is only 55 miles from Alaska, making America’s northernmost state key to national security, especially as Russia is actively building its Arctic military capabilities.

The Daily Signal had the opportunity to visit Dunleavy at his Anchorage office and discuss the national security threat Russia and China pose to the U.S., and why Russia has its eye on the Arctic.

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