NATO has deployed an unprecedented air operation after detecting Russian nuclear submarine activity in Arctic waters.
According to British, Danish, and Norwegian media outlets, a Russian nuclear submarine allegedly «threatened» the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Arctic, prompting NATO to launch an intensive air operation to locate it.
The Danish press reported that at least 27 missions have already been carried out with P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, which took off from Scotland and from the Norwegian air base at Evenes, located just above the Arctic Circle. According to The Sun, the US Navy also participated in the search with aircraft deployed from Iceland, reinforced by troops arriving from Sicily.
The operation began on Sunday at around 7:00 p.m. and lasted almost 48 hours. During that time, the planes repeatedly scanned the same area of the sea. «This is a very unusual escalation.» Flight data shows that a British plane spent hours flying over the deep waters west of the Lofoten Islands, where the seabed drops abruptly to more than 1,000 meters.
Military analysts interpret NATO aircraft flights as a signal to Moscow. «This is NATO showing that it is in control,» a former British Navy officer told the Daily Mail. Former commander Tom Sharpe agreed: «It looks like they’ve located a Russian submarine and are putting pressure on it. With this, NATO is telling Russia: ‘We have you in our sights.'»
Officially, the armies involved are avoiding giving details. A spokesperson for the Norwegian Army told the Barents Observer that, «for security reasons, no further information is being provided on ongoing operations.» The US Navy simply stated on Facebook that the maneuvers seek to «ensure security and stability against hostile influences on critical maritime routes.»
Geopolitical context
The episode is part of a broader escalation in the Arctic. NATO has significantly increased its presence in the region in recent years. In 2022, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman had already conducted maneuvers near the Lofoten Islands, and in August of this year, Washington deployed three B-1B Lancer bombers to the Norwegian base at Ørland.
