‘Unprecedented’ number of Chinese ships in the Arctic: DHS

The United States is looking to pull ahead of China in the race to navigate the Arctic, according to a Department of Homeland Security document, and warns that a shortage of U.S. shipbuilders could hamper the effort. The Department of Homeland Security said in a document titled “The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort U.S. National Workforce Development Plan” that in 2025, there was an “unprecedented” number of Chinese military and research vessels in the Arctic, operating in or near U.S. waters. “China’s continued expansion of its icebreaking fleet poses a potential challenge to U.S. maritime sovereignty if future Chinese operations fall outside…