Russian Nucular Subs patrolling US East Cost

[D-Fence]

Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast of U.S.


WASHINGTON — A pair of nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines has been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in recent days, a rare mission that has raised concerns inside the Pentagon and intelligence agencies about a more assertive stance by the Russian military.

The episode has echoes of the cold war era, when the United States and the Soviet Union regularly parked submarines off each other’s coasts to steal military secrets, track the movements of their underwater fleets — and be poised for war.

But the collapse of the Soviet Union all but eliminated the ability of the Russian Navy to operate far from home ports, making the current submarine patrols thousands of miles from Russia more surprising for military officials and defense policy experts.

“I don’t think they’ve put two first-line nuclear subs off the U.S. coast in about 15 years,” said Norman Polmar, a naval historian and submarine warfare expert.

The submarines are of the Akula class, a counterpart to the Los Angeles class attack subs of the United States Navy, and not one of the larger submarines that can launch intercontinental nuclear missiles.

According to Defense Department officials, one of the Russian submarines remained in international waters on Tuesday about 200 miles off the coast of the United States. The location of the second remained unclear. One senior official said the second submarine traveled south in recent days toward Cuba, while another senior official with access to reports on the surveillance mission said it had sailed away in a northerly direction.

The Pentagon and intelligence officials spoke anonymously to describe the effort to track the Russian submarines, which has not been publicly announced.

President Obama spoke by telephone with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Tuesday, but it was not clear whether the subject of the submarines came up, although another source of friction between the two countries did. Mr. Medvedev called Mr. Obama to wish him a happy birthday and the White House said the president used the opportunity to urge Russia to work through diplomatic channels to resolve rising tensions with Georgia.

The submarine patrols come as Moscow tries to shake off the embarrassment of the latest failed test of the Bulava missile, a long-range weapon that was test fired from a submarine in the Arctic on July 15. The failed missile test was the sixth since 2005, and some experts see Russia’s assertiveness elsewhere as a gambit by the military to prove its continued relevance.

“It’s the military trying to demonstrate that they are still a player in Russian political and economic matters,” Mr. Polmar said.

One of the submarines is the newer Akula II, officials said, which is quieter than the older variant and the most advanced in the Russian fleet. The Akula is capable of carrying torpedoes for attacking other submarines and surface vessels as well as missiles for striking targets on land and at sea.

Defense Department officials declined to speculate on which weapons might be aboard the two submarines.

While the submarines have not taken any provocative action beyond their presence outside territorial waters of the United States, officials expressed wariness over the Kremlin’s motivation for ordering such an unusual mission.

“Anytime the Russian Navy does something so out of the ordinary it is cause for worry,” said a senior Defense Department official who has been monitoring reports on the submarines’ activities.

The official said the Navy was able to track the submarines as they made their way through international waters off the American coastline. This can be done from aircraft, ships, underwater sensors or other submarines.

“We’ve known where they were, and we’re not concerned about our ability to track the subs,” the official added. “We’re concerned just because they are there.”

Once among the world’s most powerful forces, the Russian Navy now has very few ships regularly deployed on the open seas. Moscow has contributed warships to the international armada searching for Somali pirates. In addition, a flotilla of Russian warships participated in exercises with Venezuela last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/wo...?_r=1&emc=eta1



The vessels in question:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akula_class_submarine

Project 971 Щука-Б (Shchuka-B, 'Shchuka' meaning pike, NATO reporting name "Akula"), is a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) first deployed by the Soviet Navy in 1986. The class is sometimes erroneously called the "Bars" class, after one of its members. Note that Akula ("shark") is the Soviet designation of the ballistic missile submarine class designated by NATO as the Typhoon class submarine.

There are three sub-classes or flights of Shchuka, consisting of the original seven "Akula I" submarines which were built between 1982 and 1986, five "Improved Akula" submarines were built between 1986 and 1991, and four "Akula II" submarines were built from 1991. This information is disputed, however, as the distinction between the Improved Akula and the Akula II class is debated by authoritative sources. The Russians simply call all of the submarines Schuka-B, regardless of modifications, and it is rumoured that no two are alike.

The Akula incorporates a double hull system composed of an inner pressure hull and an outer "light" hull. This allows more freedom in the design of the exterior hull shape, resulting in a very hydrodynamic submarine compared to western counterparts at the time.

The distinctive "bulb" or "can" seen on top of the Akula's rudder houses its towed sonar array, when retracted.

All Akulas are armed with four 533 mm torpedo tubes which can use Type 53 torpedoes or the SS-N-15 Starfish missile, and four 650 mm torpedo tubes which can use Type 65 torpedoes or the SS-N-16 Stallion missile. These torpedo tubes are arranged in two rows of four tubes each. Improved Akulas and Akula IIs have an additional six 533 mm torpedo tubes mounted externally, however it is unclear whether these are fully functional external tubes, or if they are only capable of launching Mines and decoys. The external tubes are mounted outside the pressure hull in one row, above the 'Normal' Torpedo tubes, and can only be reloaded in port or with the assistance of a submarine tender. The 650 mm tubes can be fitted with liners to use the 533 mm weaponry. The submarine is also able to use its torpedo tubes to deploy mines.

Hostile Waters , anyone?

[Whappeh]

I saw this on the news and wondered who let Sean Connery back in the navy.

[jetsetter]

It lets the Russians think they are back in the game but the truth is they are far from even participating. The United States has 14 SSBNS, 4 SSGNs, and 53 SSNs in active service. Just more posturing from the silliness that is the Putin/Medvedev creature.

[D-Fence]

Well Sean Connery (Red October) drove the boat into a US River and handed it over, Hostile Waters is more about the "Oh Shit" Factor

[nomix]

Funny that the Pentagon is worried when the ruskies start doing what the US Navy's been doing for years in Barent sea.

[SpitfireMK461]

Originally Posted by nomix

Funny that the Pentagon is worried when the ruskies start doing what the US Navy's been doing for years in Barent sea.

But we're the US. We are allowed to do that. Nobody is allowed to do it to us.

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by SpitfireMK461

But we're the US. We are allowed to do that. Nobody is allowed to do it to us.

It is Russia you must remember. Already forget the Cold War?

[h-p]

Russians just want to show that they are not dead yet. Nothing to worry.

[h-p]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

It lets the Russians think they are back in the game but the truth is they are far from even participating. The United States has 14 SSBNS, 4 SSGNs, and 53 SSNs in active service. Just more posturing from the silliness that is the Putin/Medvedev creature.

Damn, Russians only have 15 SSBNs, 8 SSGNs, 19 SSNs and 20 SSKs. How dare they?

edit: sorry, double post

[AiR]

Wait a minute, I'll just put this here, click play to get in the mood and then read the story. Also, what the heck is a ssssssbn?

+ YouTube Video

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by h-p

Damn, Russians only have 15 SSBNs, 8 SSGNs, 19 SSNs and 20 SSKs. How dare they?

edit: sorry, double post

And how many of those are in actual working order? There is a reason why Russia rarely sends its ships far from home. They don't have the support or the cash.

[h-p]

Wikipedia quote: As of February 2008, The Russian Navy had: 44 nuclear submarines with 24 operational; 19 diesel-electric submarines - 16 operational; and 56 first and second rank surface combatants - 37 operational.

Still very formidable force.

They are expanding their military budget. They are building new ships with 48 billion dollars, and I think they want to train crews for those.

Hence this and those Tu-95 flights. Putin/Medvedev want to bring Russia back to the big league along with China and US.

[ViperVX]

Originally Posted by h-p

Wikipedia quote: As of February 2008, The Russian Navy had: 44 nuclear submarines with 24 operational; 19 diesel-electric submarines - 16 operational; and 56 first and second rank surface combatants - 37 operational.

Still very formidable force.

They are expanding their military budget. They are building new ships with 48 billion dollars, and I think they want to train crews for those.

Hence this and those Tu-95 flights. Putin/Medvedev want to bring Russia back to the big league along with China and US.

Yeah, plans to get it up to US numbers by 2020...lol.

[wooflepoof]

lol, thats cute. AMERICA.

[swek]

#1 ?

[BlaRo]

Fuck yeah?

[justin syder]

Actually, the real news story is that the subs were headed towards the coast of New York and Maryland but they drifted a bit.

[DarkReaper]

So how many subs does the US have on Russias coasts? Any russian news on that?

[justin syder]

Good luck finding our subs!

They don't know where our subs are, these subs were detected and by the sound of the pentagon, were brushed off as, "yeah and why should we care?"

[WillDAQ]

These reports are a simple case of the US pointing out to Russia that their subs are no longer stealthy.