Other than perhaps the deep sea, there is no environment on the planet that is as hostile to human life as the arctic. With temperatures reaching routinely hitting -40 degrees, and the great distances needed to travel is such a vast austere environment, it would be a terrible place for ground troops to fight.
However, with tensions high with another arctic power, Russia, and China also claiming to be an arctic power, the United States military considers the arctic to be key strategic terrain. From a military point of view the arctic is a place of submarine activity, early warning radars, and potentially a region that nuclear weapons could be fired over, not to preclude the possibility of ground combat as happened during World War 2 on the Aleutian Islands.
One way to improve arctic mobility is to improve the Army's Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles (CATV). "The vehicles the Army uses are too tall, heavy, and wide, which makes the transportation of supplies difficult in the Arctic environment where there are narrow mountainous icy roads," writes Army 1st Lt. Julissa Irizarry Lugo.
The Army recently bought 44 new BvS10 Beowolf CATVs to the tune $68 million dollars. Lugo points out that these vehicles help troops with arctic mobility, but fail to provide the logistical support that those soldiers require. Army Forward Support Companies (FSCs) are still restrained to using normal military vehicles, which in many instances will not be able to traverse the challenging arctic terrain.
"CATVs must have the option to incorporate trailers in which the FSCs can carry supplies to the line companies," Lugo writes. "These trailers can transport small fuel and water tanks to facilitate the movement of these supplies when the demand is low."
Other options to improve the soldier's odds in the arctic include the use of UAVs and aerial delivery systems. Air drops would be another work around to keep troops in forward locations supplied, without needing to truck in what they need. UAVs are another standout option for surveillance in the arctic. Both unmanned drones as well as remotely operated sensors offer benefits as it alleviates the military of the challenges of deploying soldiers into the arctic.
"By investing in modifying CATVs, increasing aerial delivery, and using autonomous aerial vehicles, the Army would expand its operational reach and would be in a better to position to win future wars," Lugo concludes.