Increased activity in the Arctic is a concern for national security and for U.S. Northern Command, the officer in charge of North American security said.

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Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northcom, told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington about the role both agencies play in homeland defense.

While he embraces cooperation in the Arctic, O’Shaughnessy said, care must be taken not to let potential adversaries take advantage of that cooperation. “The rules-based international order [that’s] alive and well in the rest of the world has to be applied with that same template in the Arctic,” he said.

As avenues of navigation open in the Arctic region, so to do avenues of approach to the United States, O’Shaughnessy noted, so the United States, and Northcom in particular, must remain vigilant and prepared.

“The Arctic is not just a place you can pick up and go to,” he said. Unlike the tropical, temperate or desert environments where the U.S. military typically operates, the Arctic region requires specialized training and gear. Northcom is working with the services on how they operate and exercise in the Arctic, the general said.

Turning to missile defense, O’Shaughnessy said defense against cruise missiles is something that needs more attention.