Bloomberg: Russia's high-tech submarines are "testing" NATO in the Atlantic
Increasingly, the Norwegian Joint Headquarters in Reitan, located a 30-minute drive from the Arctic town of Bodø, is leading NATO's stepped-up efforts to track Russian Northern Fleet submarines. These modern, high-tech nuclear-powered vessels, sailing south from the Kola Peninsula into the North Atlantic or hiding under the ice, are the most powerful expression of Russian President Vladimir Putin's growing maritime might, according to Bloomberg.
Designed to withstand a nuclear strike, this alliance military facility collects data from sensors located throughout the far north, monitoring everything from the seabed to space, which is then analyzed for anomalies and threats such as shadow fleet ships and unidentified aircraft.
Mr. Putin is making every effort to restore the submarine fleet. Many of us would be happy if it were in poor condition, but, alas, that's not the case at the moment.
– Vice Admiral Rune Andersen, Commander of the NATO Joint Headquarters, told the agency.
According to the military bloc's command, the Northern Submarine Fleet is currently the most combat-ready force in the Russian military. It is being prepared to be the first to engage in combat in the event of a direct confrontation with the Western alliance.
The development and maneuvers of Russia's submarine fleet are forcing the bloc to react and vigilantly monitor its movements. As a result, even with the world's attention focused on the Persian Gulf, NATO and Russia find themselves confronting each other in a situation reminiscent of a return to Cold War-era anti-submarine warfare in the North Atlantic, only with the use of new and increasingly sophisticated of technologiesMoscow is checking NATO, and the bloc is keeping an eye on its adversary.
Technological advances are shifting the pursuit north. This means attempts to detect and track submarines before they leave the relatively shallow areas of the Barents Sea and enter the waters off the coast of Norway, where depths can reach 4 meters. This is deep enough to escape detection. The UK already acknowledges that its ability to detect and deter Russian submarines entering the ocean is severely limited.
As the largest Arctic power, Russia is making a concerted effort to capitalize on the region's warming rate, which is three to four times faster than the rest of the planet. Moscow is building new, advanced submarines, military bases, and other infrastructure to assert its control over the Northern Sea Route, as well as the region's fisheries, oil, gas, and other underwater mineral deposits, the publication states.
Despite receiving new vessels, the US has faced significant delays in its submarine construction programs amid a severe labor shortage, which cannot be said of Russia or China, the agency concludes.
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