The Bear: Russian submarines spotted on edge of US terrirorial waters
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/08/05/russian.submarines/
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- HardPower
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200 miles off the US East Coast, Russian attack submarines are at sea to see what the can see. These aging Akula class nuclear powered subs ("Akula" is the NATO reporting name, the Russian name is "Schuka-B") have good sensors, and are designed mostly for attacking shipping or covert strikes at American capital ships. These aren't "boomers" - the subs that launch nuclear weapons.
So... why? Well, the simplest answer is to get press for a popular product that Russia is trying to sell more units of. Early models of Akula were produced in the early '80s, while many upgrades have brought the Akula into the 1990s. Many countries buy ships from Russia, and attack subs are a primarily defensive weapon - used to attack supply lines of invaders, or to attack an enemy that controls the seas, perhaps with an aircraft carrier.
Now that Russian politicians are rediscovering the power of blind nationalism, it's also possible that this is just Russian retaliation for the constant American naval presence around Russian territorial waters. In light of this fact, the American military has said that Russia is acting within its rights and within the rights of every nation (*cough cough American boomers*) to sail in international waters off any country's coast.
So... why? Well, the simplest answer is to get press for a popular product that Russia is trying to sell more units of. Early models of Akula were produced in the early '80s, while many upgrades have brought the Akula into the 1990s. Many countries buy ships from Russia, and attack subs are a primarily defensive weapon - used to attack supply lines of invaders, or to attack an enemy that controls the seas, perhaps with an aircraft carrier.
Now that Russian politicians are rediscovering the power of blind nationalism, it's also possible that this is just Russian retaliation for the constant American naval presence around Russian territorial waters. In light of this fact, the American military has said that Russia is acting within its rights and within the rights of every nation (*cough cough American boomers*) to sail in international waters off any country's coast.
