DoD Announces Establishment of Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young (both R-Alaska) today applauded the Department of Defense’s (DoD) announcement that it is establishing the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, an initiative that the Alaska delegation has worked to both authorize and appropriate funding for.

The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed in December 2020, included an amendment to establish a new regional DoD center – the first DoD regional center in the Arctic and the first new DoD regional center established since 2000. The center, named after the late Senator Ted Stevens, will support defense strategy objectives and policy priorities through a unique academic forum, while also fostering strong international networks of security leaders. 

“In the 2021 NDAA, my team and I were able to include provisions for historic investments in the Arctic, including new icebreakers, space-based communications, critical military infrastructure, and new initiatives for remote locations,” said Senator Sullivan. “Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that another provision I was able to include as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee—the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies—will come to fruition. Alaska is the reason that the United States is an Arctic nation, which is why we are fighting for the center to be based in our state. This would be instrumental in cultivating the Arctic policy expertise that is desperately needed in the Department of Defense. In order to address the rise of great power competition in the Arctic, the Ted Stevens Center will serve as a new focal point for strategic thinking as it combines Alaska’s extensive reserve of Arctic expertise with the best and brightest minds from around the world. I want to thank Secretary Austin for his focus on this critically-important geostrategic area of the world, Senator Murkowski for initially conceiving of the idea and working to appropriate funds for the center, and Congressman Don Young for carrying it across the finish line in the House.” 

“I am very pleased to see the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies get one step closer toward its establishment,” said Congressman Young.“My friend, our late Senator Ted Stevens, was not only a steadfast advocate for Alaska, but he also fully recognized the strategic importance of the Arctic to America’s national security. The establishment of the Ted Stevens Center has always been one of my highest priorities, and the Alaska Delegation has worked hard to make it a reality. America is an Arctic nation because of Alaska. As the region changes, it becomes even more important for us to secure peace and stability through American leadership. America’s national security is not a partisan issue. Naming the Arctic Center for Security Studies after a consensus builder like Senator Stevens is an incredible testament to his legacy of patriotism and multilateralism. I know that he would be proud to know that the state he loved will soon be home to a critical diplomatic hub. I want to thank Defense Secretary Austin for recognizing our role in the Arctic and helping to bring the Stevens Center to fruition.” 

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