Russia’s 1,000-Mile Yasen-M Submarines Pressure NATO Arctic Defenses as Alliance Bolsters High North
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Russia’s 1,000-Mile Yasen-M Submarines Pressure NATO Arctic Defenses as Alliance Bolsters High North
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Summary
Retired NATO commander Philip Breedlove said Russia’s quieter new-generation nuclear submarines and upgraded Arctic bases are making NATO’s northern approaches harder to defend and monitor.
Yasen-M boats can carry 1,000-mile-range cruise missiles, anti-ship weapons and hypersonic missiles, while improved acoustic quieting raises the risk they can approach Atlantic coastlines undetected.
Breedlove said the threat is centered on the heavily militarized Kola Peninsula and the GIUK Gap, the key route Russian naval forces must cross to reach the Atlantic.
NATO has already responded with Arctic Sentry in February and a Swedish-led Forward Land Forces Finland deployment in June, while Joint Force Command Brunssum on Sept. 2 called the submarine threat "serious."
The buildup reflects a wider Arctic contest as melting ice opens faster trade routes—up to 14 days shorter—and Moscow pushes to control the Northern Sea Route despite warning Western activity could destabilize the region.