This Arctic region could become the frontline of tensions again as relations between Moscow and the NATO bloc become more strained. The Kola Peninsula, where Russia bases its key Northern Fleet and much of its nuclear deterrent, has always been "the most important military area for the old Soviet Union, the Russian Federation today," according to Mark Grove, a senior lecturer at the University of Lincoln's Maritime Studies Center at the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, U.K. Changing NATO, New Threats and 'Strange Routes' The inclusion of these Nordic countries into NATO not only expands Russia's borders with the alliance by hundreds of miles, but threatens the security of its critical maritime bases. NATO's anti-sub capabilities, meanwhile, have "atrophied following the end of the Cold War and as attention had strayed elsewhere," Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank, told Newsweek.įinland's accession to the alliance, with Sweden's membership on the horizon, has brought the Russian submarine question into sharper focus. Russia also has its nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), including its Yasen-class subs, in its underwater arsenal. Questions remain about how well Russia has maintained its untested underwater fleet, but a consensus shows a distinct Western wariness of Moscow's capabilities, not least its 11 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), with the Borei-A class vessels. "Russia has massively invested in its underwater capability since 2014, first of all submarines," former Ukrainian First Deputy Chief of Defense and Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Navy, retired Admiral Ihor Kabanenko told Newsweek, pointing to a slew of new Russian nuclear and conventional submarines being commissioned in the past decade. Russia's subs are widely considered to be a formidable force, and the U.S., along with its NATO allies, neglecting the war beneath the waves has left the alliance struggling to make up ground. The bulk of Russia's seafaring investment has been channeled into its high-tech submarine fleet. A vivid show of a declining surface fleet, the real threat Russia's military poses to NATO lurks elsewhere. Russia's navy has taken a battering in the war with Ukraine, with a number of several high-profile humiliations, including the sinking of the Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, in the early days of the war. NATO is now "playing catch up" to counter this growing Russian threat to critical infrastructure including undersea cables.coast, highlighting NATO vulnerability to "seabed warfare". ![]() Russian subs have been recently detected on "strange routes" including off the U.S.Moscow has invested heavily in its submarine fleet, while NATO has largely ignored the underwater realm, experts told Newsweek.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |