NATO troops, vessels and aircraft took to the frigid North Atlantic Ocean last month to sharpen their skills for a potential future war at sea, whether in the tumultuous Atlantic or in waters closer to their hypothetical Russian adversaries.
The drills — led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet — ”focused on the strategic waterways and airspace surrounding Iceland,” a NATO press release said, an area it described as ”a vital hub in the North Atlantic.” NATO forces practiced tracking enemy naval forces — including submarines — and responding to mass casualty events. […]
In the event of war, NATO aircraft and vessels could launch attacks on Russian territory from within the Baltic region that would ”give Russian air defenses very limited warning times,” Kashual noted.
”There’s a whole range of conundrums that the alliance’s preponderance in the Baltic Sea faces the Russians with,” Kaushal said. ”Reminding Russia of that fact is probably an important goal for the Americans, and for the wider alliance.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin have routinely criticized NATO military drills — particularly those close to its border. In July, for example, Moscow hit out at NATO drills in Finland as ”an integral part of NATO’s comprehensive provocative efforts to contain Russia.” Läs artikel