NATO: Russia Undersea Activity Highest 'Since Cold War'

[DonViejo]

Source: Newsweek Magazine




RUSSIA SUBMARINE ACTIVITY HIGHEST 'SINCE COLD WAR,' NATO WARNS

BY JACK MOORE ON 12/24/17 AT 12:50 PM

NATO officials on Sunday warned about an increase in Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, saying that it was the highest-level of undersea activity from Moscow since the Cold War.

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the military alliance, told German Sunday newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that an additional 13 subs had been added to Moscow's fleet since 2014.

“Russia has massively invested in its marine capability, especially in submarines,” he said. “Russia’s submarine activity is now at its highest level since the Cold War." He said that Moscow's fleet was now operating "closer to our shores," as well as across the Atlantic.

The alliance's top submarine commander, Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, reiterated Stoltenberg's comments.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/russia-submarine-activity-highest-cold-war-nato-commander-warns-758260

[Igel]

1. Some of this is non-news. Some is news.

In the '80s and '90s the USSR/Russia was in no position to build or maintain things like subs.

Then, after the breakup, the military bases were also divvied up. Even Ukraine got some subs. Not many, and they were crappy, but that also reduced the number that Russia inherited.

So some recouping of activity levels is background noise.

Some isn't, though, as Russia continues their own reset of the Cold War. Hard to deal with humiliation worship. It's a potent emotional factor, that chip on the shoulder, and when you have it you tend to be more aggressive and much less sympathetic (in both meanings of the word). Even in the US and Europe, where humiliation wasn't so motive a factor among some parts of society for quite a while, it's staged a comeback, and that doesn't bode well. Humiliation, zero-tolerance, and non-forgiveness ...

[Irish_Dem]

4. So are the Russians just showing off, making their presence known?

Or are they up to something else????

[sofa king]

6. It could be they have learned some interesting things.

Like for example, a well-placed operative high in the US government, named Donald, could be in a position to transfer important things like US Naval operational plans, tactical or strategic decision trees, and so on. (Donald would need help, because he doesn't actually know what any of those things are.)

With that information in hand the very next thing the Russians would want to do is go out and test their own responses to those American plans. The undersea world is constantly in a state just short of war, with all sides trying to find, fix, and follow each other, and all sides collecting that data.

So you spit out all your submarines, close them on the American fleets, let 'em know you're there, and then see if the American response corresponds to the predictions their new intelligence allows them to make.

[Irish_Dem]

7. Nothing would surprise me at this point. And yes I agree they are sending a strong messages

to the US military.

[SergeStorms]

13. No worries.

Putin has ensured his great friend, Donnie, that there are no ulterior motives at play here. Every time Vladf sees Donnie, he tells him "I did not interfere in the 2016 election, and our armada of submarines off your coast is nothing to worry about". And Donnie believes him, of course, because Vlad is such an honest, open, and warm friend of Donnie's.

[Irish_Dem]

14. That is about how it plays out, and Trump believes the BS.

He wants to be as rich and powerful as Putin.

[SergeStorms]

16. Trump's ego....

is SO out of control he can't believe there are people who actually despise him. His ego won't allow him to accept that, so these have to be "fake" news stories. To him, that's the only "rational" explanation.

[Irish_Dem]

18. He knows he has enemies, but sees them as lying for political gain.

Unless he is a fragile narcissist and has a deep core of insecurity and doubt.

This makes him more prone to angry acting out, manipulation and control.

[duforsure]

2. What's really scary

Are we being set up by people in our government, allowing another government to cyber attack us at our power plants, and more?

[Hortensis]

3. Imagine this militarization just offers their own hogs

more to slop up at the trough. Otherwise, you'd think this could endanger future profits. Nevertheless, I'm still hoping Putin will go the way of Russia's prior wealthiest hog, before he and the others took him down and divvied up his booty.

[getagrip_already]

5. Well, at least....

This story didnt say they were off the coast of conneticut like others stories have said.

Hint to reporters, CT doesnt have any coastlie the russians could hide a sub.

CT has long island sound and fishers island sound. A sub would have to surface to get into and out of those bodies of water. All the water contiguous to CT is state waters, not even federal, let alone international.

NY does have coastline adjacent to the Atlantic ocean. CT does not. If they said russian subs were off the coast of any coastal new england or mid atlantic state except CT, it would be believable, but not CT.

[sofa king]

8. There might be some shorthand, there.

It seems like the better place to hide a sub would be just off the continental shelf. But the objective is unquestionably to be watching Connecticut, and specifically the US submarines that come and go from New London.

[disalitervisum]

11. Yes, Soviet submarines also hang out around Bremerton and King's Bay, in addition to

maintaining positions withing a few hundred miles of our major coastal cities. These are almost always attack subs, not boomers, and they have always been there. They have a real problem hiding from us.

[getagrip_already]

12. yes, but you shouldn't say it anyway..

I know the waters around CT pretty well. A standard sub would have to surface to get into the sound, and both electrric boat and the groton naval yard are on the thames river.

I have no doubt they lurk and monitor comings and goings. We do it all the time. I spoke to an ensign once who later became a boat captain, and he said he had seen more of the russian coast than most russians.

But they aren't lurking off of the CT coast. They out in the atlantic. Even our subs stay on the surface until they are south of montauk.

[yuiyoshida]

9. Reminds me of a movie...hmmmm

[elleng]

10. a related thread Saturday:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10017640

[estefanyo]

15. They feel emboldened by Trump

That's why.

[Calista241]

19. Russia has 1 operational fast attack submarine built since the year 2000.

The one built in 2000 is based on a 1980's design (and that design was a piece of shit back then) and would be completely ineffective against our Virginia and Seawolf class submarines, or even our elderly Los Angeles class boats.

They do have 3 more modern ballistic missile subs, but the chances of those subs patrolling in the Atlantic ocean are fairly slim.

People are reading too much into this article. Yes, Russia meddled in our election and got the dumbest possible candidate elected. But to presume that Russia is economically or militarily capable of challenging the United States for anything is beyond absurd.