Huge Russian Military Buildup in the Arctic Worries NATO

[Boats]

Huge Russian Military Buildup in the Arctic Worries NATO
By: Maritime Security & FleetMon News - 04-19-21
Re: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-ne...-worries-nato/

Needless to say, not all countries regret global warming. Take Russia for example. The country is pitching its Northern Silk Route: poised to connect Europe with Asia, as a viable alternative to the Suez Canal for years now.

However, things went out of hand recently, when satellite imagery showed Russian military buildup in an Arctic area that was freshly freed from ice sheets due to rapid global warming. The reason: Russia securing its northern coastline and opening up the Northern Silk Route.

The country has amassed enormous military strength in the Arctic, but what worries military pundits from around the world is how this move would affect the current geopolitical balance in the region.

On top of that, there's Russia's new 'superweapon'. Dubbed as the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo, it consists of a torpedo powered by a nuclear reactor, with Russian designers designing it as an unmanned stealth one. As per Russian military officials, the torpedo is capable of delivering a warhead that can generate radioactive waves harmful enough that it would render swathes of the target coastline uninhabitable for decades.

Recently, CNN received satellite imagery by Maxar that detailed Russia's never-ending buildup in its Arctic coastline. Coupled with underground storage facilities likely to be used for storing Poseidon and other new high-tech weapons, the airfields host bombers, and MiG31BM jets.

NATO and the US have expressed increasing concern in the wake of this buildup, especially after reports were revealed about Russia's troop movements near the Ukrainian border.

Speaking to CNN, a senior State Department official told, "There's a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic. That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic."

Norway to host the biggest exercise inside Arctic Circle since Cold War:

The increased aggression from Russia, both in the Arctic and the Ukrainian border, has prompted Norway to host the biggest exercise inside the Arctic circle since the cold war.

Hinting at risking interest from the EU as well as NATO-aligned countries, General Eirik Kristoffersen, head of the Norwegian Armed Forces said, “There is a significantly increased interest among our allies for the north and the Arctic.”

Dubbed as the 'Cold Response 2022', it will see active participation from Norway's Navy and Air Force. Set to take place in an area where U.S., British and Dutch soldiers frequently drill Arctic warfare, it's meant to be more of a show of strength to Kremlin than as a war game.