and the republicans we're talking with the former pentagon official michael maloof and professor rob hubert rob what are the united states and canada doing to protect our interests in the arctic and if there's something we should be doing but aren't what is it well to start with what's happening one of the greatest difficulty and i take michael's point in terms of the the russians being ahead on surface capabilities and there's no question that it is but you also have to factor that we have renewed many of the issues that existed during the cold war and that is of course the renewal of the undersea warfare capabilities of both the russians and the americans this is out of sight it's harder to be able to track but we know that the americans have in fact. ensured that all of their newest attack subs of virginia class and we're talking about all 3 of the current tracks that are now that are actually commission all 3 of those trucks are able to actually engage in under ice capabilities they show us in this thing called sign x. where they surface one of their subs to engage in scientific exercis