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The Military

Three Russian Ballistic Missile Submarines Just Surfaced Through The Arctic Ice Together (thedrive.com) 120

The Drive reports on an "unprecedent exercise" which included a Russian nuclear submarine firing a torpedo underneath Arctic ice, which it calls "a bold statement of Russia's presence and capabilities in the increasingly tense Arctic region." Three Russian ballistic missile submarines surfaced next to each other from beneath the ice near the North Pole as part of a recent major Arctic exercise. The head of the country's Navy said that event was a first for his service. It also underscores the growing geopolitical competition in this highly strategic region... A pair of MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors, supported by an Il-78 aerial refueling tanker, also flew over the North Pole and troops have been conducting maneuvers on the ground in extreme cold weather conditions as part of Umka-2021. Average temperatures in the exercise area, at present, are ranging between -13 and -22 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds gusting up to just over 70 miles per hour, according to state-run media outlet TASS....

[A]ll of this is magnified by the ever-increasing strategic significance of the Arctic and growing geopolitical competition there, as a result. Much of this has been driven by the emergence of new economic opportunities as global climate change has caused ice in the region to recede. This has made the prospect of sending commercial shipping via the Northern Sea Route more viable and offers the possibility of greater access to untapped natural resources, including oil and natural gas. Just this week, Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom has been promoting the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to traditional routes in light of the very serious situation in the Suez Canal...

The Umka-2021 drills come as Russia and the United States, among others, are working to expand their abilities to project military power into the Arctic. Russia has been working particularly hard to build new facilities and expand existing ones, especially air bases, in the region. The U.S. military, in cooperation with Canada, just recently demonstrated its ability to conduct more routine combat aviation operations out of the strategic Thule Air Base in Greenland, as well.

The article notes that U.S. Navy also conducts Ice Exercises each year with submarines surfacing from under Arctic the ice, "though not with ballistic missile boats. However, this particular drill is, nevertheless, a significant show of force and general demonstration of the Russian Navy's strategic capabilities...."

"We're in competition... and to be competitive with Russia and China, specifically in the Arctic, you have to be on the field," said the U.S. Air Force general who heads NORAD in remarks to Congress last week. The Drive quotes him as saying "And, so it's crucial that we do that and we continue producing capabilities that will allow us to be in the Arctic." The Russian Navy sending three ballistic missile submarines punching through the Arctic ice together in a row near the North Pole provides a very clear look at this competition and more such displays are likely to come as the geopolitical friction in the region continues to increase.
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Three Russian Ballistic Missile Submarines Just Surfaced Through The Arctic Ice Together

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  • Who exactly is the f35 going to fight ?
    • by Tailhook ( 98486 )

      Offtopic to the point of being irrational. You're giving F-35 haters a bad name. But that's not saying much.

      • That unfair. I hear the F35 design team is designing a new arctic Aircraft carrier, where planes take off and land on giant ice-rink skates, and their plans to electrify the catch wires red hot so the hook does not grip when covered with ice. The carrier will be called the SS Disney, and the Ice witch and Disney ice skating team will be a formidable force. The F35's windscreen and wings will not ice up, because the plane has 50 Kadashian pro hairdryers on overdrive. In fact, they hope to discover superman's
      • So tell me when will the F35 fly over China or Russia ?
      • Its not off topic, this story is about the all things military, and f35 is a topic making a few news stories... So tell me whats an f35 going to do against russia or china ?
    • by Archtech ( 159117 ) on Sunday March 28, 2021 @06:05AM (#61207818)

      Who exactly is the f35 going to fight ?

      The US taxpayer. Obviously.

      The F-35 has already plundered the taxpayers for thousands of times more than the entire Viking nation seized in centuries.

      • I alway thought it strange that defense is a national shared cost both in money and soldiers, but health isnt. Its so obvious why, one is national and the other isnt, its a joke that people dont see they are being used.
        • I alway thought it strange that defense is a national shared cost both in money and soldiers, but health isnt. Its so obvious why, one is national and the other isnt, its a joke that people dont see they are being used.

          Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's wrong.
          In economics there are defintions such as 'common good' and 'commodities' which have meanings. National defense is common good. It cannot be supplied efficiently from a competitive market, the same goes for a freeway, rubbish collection, Fire Service etc all the things that should be run by the government.
          Healthcare on the other hand is a commodity, ie you can go to one doctor or another and get similar levels of service. If you don't lik

          • > Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's wrong.
            I do understand i gave the reasoning you just cant accept it.
            > In economics there are defintions such as 'common good' and 'commodities' which have meanings. National defense is common good. It cannot be supplied efficiently from a competitive market, the same goes for a freeway, rubbish collection, Fire Service etc all the things that should be run by the government.
            And good free health is also a good and helps more people on
            • I do understand i gave the reasoning you just cant accept it.

              Nope, you are contradicting the economic definitions of words being used. This means you don't understand what they mean
              Read this, then come back: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] .

              • No you are just trying to be a smart arse finding any stupid side point instead of looking at the big picture. The f35 is about defence/fighting china/russia. it wasnt built to find nobodies like Argentina. Next your going to tell me that VTOL and F35 are useful against fighting afghan donkey riders with slingshots.
          • Healthcare on the other hand is a commodity, ie you can go to one doctor or another and get similar levels of service. If you don't like your drug store, you can go to the one around the block etc. {...} This seems to be lost in most of these 'healthcare-for-all ' arguments.

            As long as you can economically afford to go to a doctor.

            Which is something that the rest of the developed world has noticed and thus we have developed decent healthcare systems.
            And functions more or less well in most countries.
            You in the US seem to be the exception to that.

            Government should not be involved in these they same way they should not sell cell phones, or internet, or overseas holidays etc.

            Funny that you mention "internet". I've heard US people complaining on /. that you are still getting internet over old school phone network's copper wire as soon as you step outside of the big city centres. Meanwhile my country here has

          • > In economics there are defintions such as 'common good' and 'commodities' which have meanings. National defense is common good. It cannot be supplied efficiently from a competitive market, the same goes for a freeway, rubbish collection, Fire Service etc all the things that should be run by the government.
            Free healthcare is also a common good. If someone has an infection its a community good that they are given treatment etc to stop the spreading. Helping people get well asap or helping people cope
            • Free healthcare is also a common good. If someone has an infection its a community good that they are given treatment etc to stop the spreading.

              A lot of people seem to mistake the economic definition of a 'common good' with 'is it good'?
              Read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

              • As opposed to those who play word games and forget about the spirit of the statement
                • As opposed to those who play word games and forget about the spirit of the statement

                  When you said "I always thought it strange that..." I was trying to help you understand why you find it strange, it's because words have meanings, and if you goign to invent your own, then things will always seem strange to you.

                  • You are concentrating on nonsense details instead of the spirit of the conversation i was trying to have. I still fail to appreciate exactly your exact point.
                    • You are concentrating on nonsense details

                      I know right? Who cares about what words mean when we can simple ignore them and backpedal at any opportunity lol...
                      No wonder you find things so strange...

                    • > I know right? Who cares about what words mean when we can simple ignore them and backpedal at any opportunity lol... No wonder you find things so strange...

                      No because you concentrate on the 1% while im concentrating on the 99%. You have no concept of being honest, you obviously have been watching too much american tv where the law forgets about justice and excuses criminals on nonsense. The minor point you bring out makes no absolute difference in the end, it does not disprove my statement in anywa
      • The US taxpayer. Obviously.

        The F-35 has already plundered the taxpayers for thousands of times more than the entire Viking nation seized in centuries.

        This is the same stupid logic that parrots the old "an average steak requires 15,000 litres of water to grow" myth. The water used to grow grass, or hydrate a cow does not disappear from the universe. Nor does a government program make money evaporate. Government spend goes mostly to people and businesses, who in turn pay taxes and buy stuff, which in turn pays other people's wages etc. Rinse repeat.
        Compared to say a Viking invasion where they kill all your best men, rape your women, and remove all your w

    • Who exactly is the f35 going to fight ?

      Three submarines with one munition, by the looks of it.

  • Shipping lanes. (Score:4, Informative)

    by RyanFenton ( 230700 ) on Sunday March 28, 2021 @03:34AM (#61207616)

    With ice expected to go away for more and more periods of time - there's a lot of posturing over who gets to control a theoretical new shipping lanes across the far north.

    They want the PRESUMPTION to be that they get those rights of control by default - and have trading partners invested in them getting them.

    That's also why it's crucial to them to see the EU broken up as much as they can, and distracted by things like Brexit. I don't really need to say much about Trump in this context either.

    Amazon as it exists now is just the tip if the iceburg, to use a backwards pun - taxing all those growing megamarkets on bulk shipping is going to mean more raw power than most things on the planet.

    Ryan Fenton

  • "The article notes that U.S. Navy also conducts Ice Exercises each year"

    And this is perfectly OK with everybody here. Am I right?

    (and everybody is OK with Russians meddling in US elections, just so long as Trump wins as a result...)

    • Suppose it's NOT okay with me. Suppose I wish that the US, China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran were all singing kumbaya and making granola together.

      What *exactly* would you expect me, or anyone, to do differently? When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declares "death to America", shall I send him some s'mores? Do you send yours FedEx or UPS?

      It's not cool that China wishes the US were a territory of China, but it's reality. You know why we aren't at war with China right now? WHY Chinese tanks aren't rolling throug

      • by gtall ( 79522 )

        In an addendum, Russia, the Norks, China, and Iran are all waving their guns around and acting like jerks to distract their own public from coming to the conclusion that their governments are corrupt and illegitimate. That's why Putin is killing his political enemies, China is scared of Falun Gong doing calisthenics on their front lawn, Lil' Kimmy keeps the concentration camp atmosphere going, and Iran imports Hezbollah goons to screw with any actual democratic movements.

      • You know why we aren't at war with China right now? WHY Chinese tanks aren't rolling through San Francisco? Because of the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups. China isn't shooting at us BECAUSE they know the US Pacific fleet would punish them greatly.

        This!
        The only thing holding China back from the global ambitions is their lack of blue water navy, but they are intent on developing one fast. We're going to need a stronger leader than the geriatric in office at the moment if we plan maintain a superior defence strategy against them.

        • > The only thing holding China back from the global ambitions is their lack of blue water navy, but they are intent on developing one fast.

          And the US Navy. Even when China has a strong navy, which they will soon, that won't mean they'll want the US to sink it. So it appears most likely they intend to assert dominance in their neighborhood, bullying their neighbors; they won't directly challenge the US unless the US becomes significantly weaker.

    • I'm fine with the US conducting Ice Exercises and I'm not okay with anyone meddling in US elections. Why would those be related at all?

    • And this is perfectly OK with everybody here. Am I right?

      Canadian here.

      And the answer is yes.

      A lot of America is taking the fast train to crazytown, but I still trust the American Navy - Our allies - A helluva lot more than I do Putin's Russian Navy.

      Plus, the USA actually tells us (in secret) when stuff like that is going on, if for no other reason than to ensure our CP-140s don't raise an alarm. That's what friends do.

  • As long as they target whalers and Canadian seal cubbers, that is OK. Spock is getting old, and Klingon birds of prey are in short supply.
  • Canada is practically negligent in its artic activities. Here in Ontario we don't even have four season roads into the arctic watershed let alone have continuous rail service. For our Inuit and First Nations people of the north it is basically third world life. See Attawapiskat and Kashechewan just to highlight a couple of examples of hundreds. Russia can provide nuclear power and internet we can't provide clean water and schools without black mold.
  • Great strategy from the oil and gas companies: sell a product that raises the planet's temperature, so you can extract and sell even more of this product: "as global climate change has caused ice in the region to recede. ...offers the possibility of greater access to untapped natural resources, including oil and natural gas."
  • Hopefully China will not start building up a sand bar in the 'Extremely North China Sea' and building a landing strip.

    • by gtall ( 79522 )

      I'm rooting for a good ol' fashioned typhoon to come ripping through the S. China sea and dissolve their toy islands.

  • when you need him?
    • by k6mfw ( 1182893 )
      Only old timers will get this one. Interestingly, he was in two movies (1960s and 1980s) involving conflict of US and USSR. 80s version creeped me out but not as bad as "The Day After." At times I feel top men in these governments are willing to put the world at risk, but unlike plots of those movies the new aspect is the growing of Amazon the company. What if a sub or ship were to sink a freighter carrying large amounts of cargo of Amazon orders?
  • The article notes that U.S. Navy also conducts Ice Exercises each year with submarines surfacing from under Arctic the ice,

    So you'd think the woke-a-rozzi would like this then. I mean, it's not the US, right? Takes us down a peg?

    • I'd prefer nobody was doing it.

      The only nation to ever nuke anyone (twice!) conducting such drills shouldn't warm anyone's cockles.

      If Russia is doing it, then we also have to be doing it, because that's how MAD works. But the best situation would be if no one was.

    • Corporate America and your endless involvement in unwinnable brushfire wars have done such an excellent job of eroding your middle class, your infrastructure educational system and even the American Dream itself that no outside help is needed to "take you down a peg".

      The American Empire is already well into its sunset phase

    • by gtall ( 79522 )

      Yes, let's have the freedom to insult minorities. Remember, the U.S. is a Christian nation, Jesus never liked minorities and supported building a wall and making Jordan pay for it.

Do you suffer painful hallucination? -- Don Juan, cited by Carlos Casteneda

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