US Navy sails warship into Barents Sea for the first time in three decades

[Rams]

US Navy sails warship into Barents Sea for the first time in three decades
https://www.msn.com/en-us/n...AYl0?ocid=spartandhp

The US Navy sailed three destroyers into the Barents Sea off Russia's Arctic coast Monday, the first time Navy ships have operated in the area since the mid-1980s, the height of the Cold War.

The purpose of the operation was "to assert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies," US Naval Forces Europe said in a statement.

The three destroyers -- USS Donald Cook, USS Porter and USS Roosevelt -- were joined by a UK Royal Navy frigate, HMS Kent.

The Barents Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean and borders northern Norway and Russia. The Russian port of Murmansk, which hosts the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet, sits on the sea.

The US Navy said it had notified Moscow of the upcoming operation on Friday "to avoid misperceptions, reduce risk, and prevent inadvertent escalation."
US officials have consistently said that Russia has boosted its military presence in the Arctic in recent years.

"Russia has gradually strengthened its presence by creating new Arctic units, refurbishing old airfields and infrastructure in the Arctic, and establishing new military bases along its Arctic coastline," a Pentagon report on the Arctic said last year.

"There is also a concerted effort to establish a network of air defense and coastal missile systems, early warning radars, rescue centers, and a variety of sensors," the report added.

Late last month NATO jets intercepted Russian military aircraft in the area on two occasions.

Last Tuesday "a Russian Airborne Early Warning aircraft as well as two Russian Tu-22 long range bombers with fighter escorts approached NATO airspace off the coast of Norway and were intercepted by Norwegian fighter jets," NATO said in a statement late last month.

The following day Norwegian F-16 and F-35 fighters once again intercepted Russian aircraft, this time two maritime patrol planes, after they approached "NATO airspace close to Norway," according to NATO.
The UK's Royal Air Force also launched Typhoon fighter aircraft to meet and escort the Russian planes as they tracked south toward the North Sea.
The US and Russian militaries often find themselves operating in close proximity in and around Europe.

Last month the US military accused Russian jets of twice endangering the crew of a US Navy surveillance plane flying in international airspace in the eastern Mediterranean after the Russian aircraft performed what the Navy called "unsafe and unprofessional" intercepts.

Hmm,  

"Freedom of Navigation" huh?

Rams

[Valkorado]

Let Freedom Ring!

[scooperhsd]

yeah I remember having to study INCSEA during my midshipman / surface warfare training because of the games USSR and USA would play.

And don't even ask what games are played by submarines (attack boats - our boomers are supposed to avoid everything else).

I had a classmate who had made it to TACCO on a P-3 Orion . When I met him a few years after school, he had done everything except actually drop a weapon on a Soviet sub.

(Yes boys and girls  - we play some dangerous games sometimes).

[carolinarider09]

Somewhere, near there (It was at least inside the Arctic Circle so I got my Blue Nose Certificate) is where the ASW Carrier (USS Wasp CVS 13) I was on in 1969 accosted the Soviet submarine with a Sono Bouy attack (Active Ping).   

The Soviet Subs sailed out of Murmansk in the summer time, we knew that so, left Oslo, headed north looking and found a couple .

Interesting that it has been 30 years since our Navy was there. 

[Newstart2k]

30 years since we were "officially" there. What the fast boats do don't count. ;-)

[carolinarider09]

You are correct.  I believe the article said "officially" but I did not check. 

[old2soon]

        When I was off Nam on the U S S Yorktown CVS 10 you didn't need the sonobouys as in daylight you could see the subs-mostly ours as the water was that shallow. What the Sub guys told me was sneaking up on a russkie boat could at times take awhile but the joy was wakin their asses up with a sonar lashing. One of the sub guys related to me that after 10 years in subs he had personally been sonar lashed twice. One was a russkie the other was a brit boat. They did Not mention Where all this took place though. Old submariner joke. Know how you can spot a russkie submariner at night? They glow! Think about it!  RIDE SAFE.

[carolinarider09]

The story goes that, when the US Nuclear Submarine program was started, the information on the operation of the sub and the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and its support stuff did not have restricted access.

During this time, Admiral Rickover was offered a tour of a Soviet nuclear powered icebreaker, after the tour, the story goes, Rickover immediately classified all information regarding the US Navy's nuclear program as NOFORN. 

So the story goes.

Since I was on a Boomer, our job was to remain undetected on our patrols.  In fact, where we actually were was suppose to be secret, unless you had a need to know (Captain, navigator, ect.)

The boats had an on-board "navigation" system, using gyros and accelerometers.  These devices (three if I remember correctly) were located just aft of the main control room (Conn but gee I hardly ever went there since I was a "Nuc") in the NAV Center (?).  Away, each device had a latitude and longitude read out (think digital counter and no it was not like LEDs or LCDs, it was a physical counter like thing). 

Anyway, each of the six indicators had a little sign over them that said "Top Secret".  On rare occasions when I went there, the signs were not in place and you could actually see where we were.  At least lat and long. 

But since we were at 200 feet and making 3 knots, it was sort of a mute point. 

I digress.