Newsweek: Russian Severodvinsk—class submarines are the main threat to the United States Because of the nuclear submarines of the Severodvinsk class, Russia poses the main threat to the United States, writes Newsweek.
According to the head of the Institute for Russian Studies at the American Naval Academy, submarines of this class are "one of the most advanced and quietest on Earth."
Isabelle van BrugenRussia is a "fundamental challenge" and the main threat to America, the head of the Institute for Russian Studies at the US Naval Academy told Newsweek.
So its director and founder Professor Michael Petersen commented on the words of US Air Force General Glen van Herk, head of the US Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, that Russia is the main threat to America due to the presence of nuclear submarines of the Severodvinsk class near the United States.
The US command and military observers have sounded the alarm about the increased activity of the Russian submarine fleet off the coast of America against the background of the fighting raging in Ukraine.
Throughout the conflict, which began in February last year, when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to a neighboring country, the Russian Navy has been building up forces in the Black Sea. According to officials, the number of Russian submarines off the coast of the United States and in the Mediterranean Sea has also increased.
"I agree with that," Pietersen said of van Herk's remarks. — The Russian doctrine is very clear. Most likely, they will attack the United States if they deem it necessary."
"From the point of view of combat operations in surface and airspace, China's fleet is larger and, perhaps, more combat-ready. But in the submarine war, Russia is a serious problem for the United States," he said.
Modernization of the Russian Navy
Petersen referred to the "Fundamentals of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of naval activities for the period up to 2030" - this document was signed by Putin on July 20, 2017. It reflects the increased capabilities of the Russian Navy, its expanded strategic and operational role, as well as future goals.
The Institute of Russian Studies notes that Moscow's main priority is deterrence and punishment of foreign aggression.
"It is noteworthy that the document emphasizes the importance of high-precision long-range weapons and the potential use of non-strategic nuclear weapons as deterrence mechanisms. It is important to note that at the operational level, the document emphasizes the importance of striking fixed military and economic targets both to deter aggression and to retaliate," the institute said in a statement.
The underwater part of the Russian Navy is one of the most diverse in the world. Some submarines are capable of carrying ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, which Moscow considers a key factor in strategic deterrence.
Russia has been strengthening its submarine fleet since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. So, over the past few years, Moscow has launched a whole series of submarines capable of hitting the most important targets in the United States and continental Europe.
The Russian Navy has a "high degree of readiness for action, including strikes against critical enemy targets," the document for 2017 notes. "With the development of high-precision weapons, the Navy faces a qualitatively new task — the destruction of the enemy's military and economic potential by hitting its vital objects from the sea," it says further.
In conclusion, it is noted that by 2030, the country "should have powerful balanced fleets in all strategic directions, consisting of ships designed to perform tasks in near and far sea zones and ocean areas, as well as naval aviation and coastal troops equipped with effective high-precision strike weapons and having a developed basing and support system"..
The US Navy is also undergoing modernization and in June 2022 began construction of the largest and most modern nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles (SSBMS) of the Columbia class.
Petersen told Newsweek that the U.S. challenge is complicated "not only by technology, but also by the doctrine and strategy that allows strikes on continental America to manage escalation."
"That's the main danger," he explained. — Russian underwater technologies in this sense are much superior to Chinese ones. And their doctrine allows them to use these trump cards."
Earlier, Petersen mentioned "signs of the deployment of submarines" off the coast of the United States, in the Mediterranean Sea and in other places on the periphery of Europe, noting that this echoes the Soviet submarine strategy of the Cold War.
Severodvinsk-class submarines
Petersen described the Severodvinsk-class nuclear submarines spotted off the coast of the United States as "relatively new" and "one of the most advanced and quietest on Earth."
Severodvinsk-class submarines have been developed since the 1990s, and there are three of them in the Russian fleet so far, but replenishment is expected, Petersen said.
"Thanks to the nuclear reactor, they have an extremely long service life, and because of their quiet running and invisibility, they are difficult to detect," he explained.
"The Russians can use these submarines for long combat campaigns and global deployment to linger in a certain patrol area and launch missiles on orders. And this is a really important part of the Russian strategy of controlled escalation," Petersen said.
"The Russian leadership believes that they can use these submarines both to maintain escalation and to establish dominance," he said.
Metered Damage
An important element of the Russian military strategy, according to Petersen, is that they can inflict "metered damage" on the enemy.
He cited the example of the current fighting in Ukraine, where Russia uses both air and naval means against the enemy's key infrastructure. Peterson believes that the fighting in Ukraine can be considered a good example of what will happen if a conflict breaks out between NATO and Russia.
"That is, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario when Russia has a conflict in Europe against the United States, and it decides to strike at the very heart of our country in order to get us out of the conflict and knock us out of this struggle," he said.
"Then they give the order to launch cruise missiles to a Severodvinsk-class submarine lurking off the east coast. This is exactly what I mean when I say "metered damage" and "controlled escalation," he concluded.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment, but received no response.
*The Taliban movement is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.
