How does NATO work to prevent misunderstandings and accidents vis-à-vis Russian submarines and other Russian vessels during operations in the North Atlantic and the Arctic?
“All Nato nations operate professionally in accordance with the Law of the Sea, so I do not really consider this to be a particularly relevant issue. Our submarine forces also have high-level skills, and I have great confidence that they act in a safe and disciplined manner, ” Grabbe replies.
At the same time, there are examples of unfortunate collisions between submarines that operate closely.
In 1992, the US submarine USS Baton Rouge (SSN) collided with the Russian nuclear submarine Kostroma in the Barents Sea off the coast of Murmansk, Northwest Russia. Reportedly, there was no damage to the vessels or personnel, according to the New York Times.
Similar submarine collisions had happened before but had not been discussed publicly, said the US DoD to the newspaper.
Can you say something about the significance of the open direct line between the Norwegian Joint Headquarters and the Russian Northern Fleet concerning submarine activity?
“This is a national initiative and not for me to comment on. In general, however, I can say that dialogue can be important and that maintaining lines of communication can add valuable understanding to situations,” responds the rear admiral.