The Pentagon has warned of growing military cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, posing a potential threat to the U.S. from the north.

Iris Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, highlighted joint Russian-Chinese activities, including coastguard cooperation and a bomber patrol near Alaska.

She emphasized China’s expanding Arctic presence and strategic interests, prompting the U.S. to increase military drills and bolster its Arctic defenses, The Telegraph has reported.

In September, the U.S. Army deployed additional forces and a HIMARS unit to the Aleutian Islands as a deterrent against rising Russian and Chinese military activity.

Written by B.C. Begley