LONDON, Aug. 15 -- The status of the Arctic as an area of low tension cannot be taken for granted, a committee of British politicians said in a major report Wednesday.
The House of Commons Defense Committee said Britain must show greater ambition and apply more resources to address the developing security situation in the Arctic and the High North.
Their report "On Thin Ice: UK Defense in the Arctic" noted that security environment in the region is being changed with changes of the natural environment.
"Although the Arctic has traditionally been an area of low tension, characterised by close multilateral co-operation among the Arctic States, the changing natural environment is being accompanied by a change in the security environment," says the report.
It adds: "The retreating ice sheet is making the Arctic more accessible to shipping and is exposing the region's extensive natural resources to exploitation."
British MP Madeleine Moon, who chairs the Defense Sub-Committee, said Britain has previously played a leading role in defending NATO's Northern Flank and in maintaining maritime security in the North Atlantic, adding: "The importance of this role is now returning to significance."
The MPs say a new level of ambition backed up by adequate resources is required to meet the developing threats we have identified.
The increase in strategic bomber flights over northern airspace and a marked increase in naval activity that projects power from the Arctic into the North Atlantic are among developments that potentially have serious strategic implications for Britain and for NATO, adds the report.