NATO has fixated Russia’s largest submarine activity since the end of the Cold War: ten Russian submarines were immediately located around Norway in October, RND reports.
“In mid-October this year, a swarm of modern Russian submarines initially openly demonstrated force in the North Atlantic, moving west across the territory between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, and then went to deep waters,” the newspaper wrote.
This year, NATO has recorded the largest activity of Russian submarines since the end of the Cold War. For this reason, the modernization of maritime capabilities has now been the subject of intense debate at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
“Russia is steadily increasing its operations underwater. Most of all – it concerns the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea. NATO will respond, inter alia, with an increase in patrolling. In addition, they will invest money in modern anti-submarine aircraft missiles,” NATO’s Press Secretary, Oana Lungescu, stated.
She also stressed that the North Atlantic remains “vital to Europe’s security” in terms of military supply routes, civilian trade routes and communication channels.
Western planners are particularly concerned about the connection between submarines and rockets that they can launch. In recent years, Putin has introduced technological improvements in both areas: submarines have become much quieter and Russian missiles have been faster than before.
It is expected that Russian submarines will receive supersonic rockets in 2020 – and it is not yet known if modern Western interception systems can stop them at all.
As we reported earlier, Germany and four other NATO members signed a document in Hamburg, which is set to strengthen co-operation aimed at protecting maritime routes in the English Channel and the North Sea, Deutsche Welle informed.
NATO intends to strengthen its position in the North Sea and the English Channel in order to be ready to repel Russia’s threat: The relevant provisions are contained in an agreement signed on Thursday, November 7 by heads of naval forces of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and the Netherlands in Hamburg.