Deep tension: NATO exercises in the straits of the North Atlantic directly affect the interests of the Russian Federation

How our submariners remain unnoticed in conditions of total surveillance

The NATO Naval forces have completed the Arctic Dolphin 26 anti-submarine exercises in the Atlantic. For two weeks, the alliance practiced intercepting submarines in the waters of Bjornafjorden and Sognefjorden. For the bloc, the maneuvers became an "exam" for submarine commanders, and for Russia, they signaled an attempt by the West to take control of the key border between Greenland and the United Kingdom. Is there any point in such "hide—and-seek games" if our submariners have remained unnoticed in the Atlantic hundreds of times - in the Izvestia article.

Why did NATO conduct exercises near Norway

The anti—submarine exercises focused on the strategic border between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, the most important corridor for access to the Atlantic Ocean, representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance said.

The geography of the exercises was not chosen by chance: the winding and deep fjords are an ideal place to "play hide—and-seek" with sonar. It is easier for submariners to hide, and more difficult for anti-submarine forces to detect them.

Norway sent the KNM Thor Heyerdahl frigate and the Ula-class diesel-electric submarine to the Arctic Dolphin 26 exercises, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. A British anti-submarine aircraft and helicopters from Denmark were involved in the search for submarines from the air. These maneuvers make it possible to hone tactics to combat threats in conditions as close to combat as possible, said Rear Admiral of the Spanish Navy Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo.

An important part was the certification of new submarine commanders who needed to maneuver in difficult conditions. Norwegian Navy Captain Jim Robertsen believes that this guarantees efficient operation in Arctic waters. In turn, the commander of the kingdom's fleet, Commodore Kirre Haugen, stressed: the presence of the group confirms the Alliance's determination to gain a foothold in the Far North.

What is GUIK and why is it important for Russia

Experts see Arctic Dolphin as working out how to create an "impenetrable barrier" for Russian submarines at the exit to the ocean — in the so-called GIUK barrier (Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain).

— This is the "gateway" to the Atlantic, through which our submarines enter the operational space. What we are seeing today is a continuation of the confrontation, which directly affects the interests of the safety of Russia's maritime routes," Vasily Dandykin, captain of the 1st rank in the reserve, explained to Izvestia.

In his opinion, the alliance is trying to constrain the actions of the Northern Fleet, using the myth of the "danger of Russia" for Greenland. It is noteworthy that attempts are increasingly being made to include China in this agenda, although there are few real grounds for this in the region.

At the same time, Dandykin stressed that the passage of a submarine through detection zones is a matter of skill, and the Russian side feels confident in this game. Russian submariners have remained unnoticed in the Atlantic hundreds of times, despite all the efforts of NATO sonar specialists, the military expert recalled.

Reserve Rear Admiral Mikhail Chekmasov added that the letter "N" is now increasingly being added to the abbreviation GIUK, including Norway in the perimeter.

— Most of the European participants in the exercises (Norway, Germany, the Netherlands) use diesel submarines. The United Kingdom, not having such a fleet, exposes nuclear-powered ships, which increases the status and capabilities of the group, as well as American P—8 Poseidon aircraft," he noted.

He advises paying special attention to London's actions. The UK is implementing the CABOT project — the creation of the so-called "Atlantic Bastion", which became known in 2025. The program is aimed at monitoring vast water areas and protecting against submarines and drones in the North Atlantic through a sensor system and unmanned aircraft. In fact, London is striving to "digitize" anti-submarine defense using robotic surface and underwater complexes.

— The thesis about the possible blockade of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea is often heard today, but it is not entirely correct. Most likely, this rhetoric migrated from discussions of the situation in the Baltic. But one should not mistakenly believe that in the current conditions the Russian naval forces will allow themselves to be blocked somewhere," Rear admiral of the reserve Mikhail Chekmasov told Izvestia.

Nevertheless, NATO is systematically preparing for a systemic confrontation with our submarines, which is clearly confirmed by the completed Arctic Dolphin exercises, he summed up.

Earlier, Izvestia reported that the White House had initiated a large-scale program of resuscitation and technological retrofitting of the SOSUS sonar monitoring system. An upgraded network of highly sensitive sensors located on the ocean floor in the strategically important strait between Greenland, Iceland and the UK is actually restoring the GIUK frontier. The integration of the latest detection tools makes it extremely difficult to covertly deploy nuclear submarines of the Russian Northern Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean.

At the same time, the Pentagon is working on logistical scenarios involving the use of deep-sea port facilities on Icelandic territory to ensure the operation of Virginia-class multipurpose submarines. The creation of an infrastructure for operational maintenance and crew rotation in close proximity to the Arctic guarantees a permanent US naval presence in regions that have traditionally been part of Russia's strategic interests.

Julia Leonova