Extreme Environments: Arctic Military Operations

Armed conflict is challenging enough, but when the very battlefield is a more significant threat than the enemy, the stakes are significantly raised.

On this episode, US Air Force LtCol Jahara "Franky" Matisek and retired US Coast Guard LCDR Jeremy McKenzie explain how military operations in the Arctic present unique challenges. Temperatures well below freezing not only make basic survival a struggle, but LCDs on avionics and electronics quit working, as do most lubricants, and a dropped wrench can shatter upon impact.

As the strategic importance of the Arctic increases, military operations there—and before long, perhaps Antarctica—require substantial consideration and investment that cannot be put off until the day before shooting begins.