Investing in Land and Sea

By Admiral Robert J. Papp

Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., USCG (Ret.) became the State Department's Special Representative for the Arctic in July of 2014, and will lead the effort to advance U.S. interests in the Arctic Region, with a focus on Arctic Ocean governance, climate change, economic, environmental, and security issues in the Arctic region as the United States holds the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2015-2017.  Prior to his appointment, Admiral Papp served as the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and led the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a flag officer, Admiral Papp served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area; as the Chief of Staff of the Coast Guard and Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Headquarters; as Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District; and as Director of Reserve and Training.

The Arctic is shifting, along with U.S. economic and strategic interests in the region. To respond to increasing temperatures and melting ice, the U.S. needs infrastructure and technology. But North America is largely behind the ball, compared to Russia and the Nordic countries. To explain the current U.S. position and look at future infrastructure requirements, The Cipher Brief spoke with Admiral Robert Papp, the U.S. State Department’s Special Representative for the Arctic and a former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Cipher Brief: What is going on geographically in the Arctic? You mentioned at a recent Council on Foreign Relations event that the ice is melting, but we still need icebreakers. Can you explain this seeming contradiction and also elaborate more broadly on what is happening geographically?

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Subscriber+

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:

Related Articles

How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More

Search

Close