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NATO Allies Ramp Up Submarine Hunt as US Steps Back
(MENAFN) NATO member states are intensifying efforts to track Russia's nuclear-capable submarines in the North Atlantic, even as Washington scales back its military footprint in the alliance's regional operations, Politico reported Saturday.
During last month's annual Northern Viking exercise, German surveillance aircraft, Canadian warships and Belgian fighter jets operated off the coast of Iceland, honing their ability to detect and track submarines beneath the waves.
Notably, the report pointed out that no US ships or aircraft joined the maritime drill — the first time in decades that Washington sat out the exercise entirely.
Led by French Rear Admiral Nicolas Molitor, the exercise was designed to show that European allies and Canada can uphold security in the strategically vital North Atlantic without direct US military leadership.
Iceland's defense chief Jonas Allansson was quoted saying: "We see Europe and Canada stepping up, and we see it literally here in Iceland."
According to the report, Iceland sits near the strategically critical Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) Gap — a key maritime corridor Russian submarines use to reach the Atlantic from bases on Russia's Kola Peninsula.
A senior NATO official reportedly explained the stakes: "For NATO and for Russia, this is really a dividing line. For the Russians, if they can control access to that gap, and get their submarines on the other side of it, then they've got free reign of the Atlantic and can hold bases on both sides of the Atlantic at risk."
The report noted growing unease among some NATO members — not just over Russia's nuclear and conventional military strength, but also over threats to critical undersea infrastructure such as internet cables and pipelines.
German Navy Commander Peter Flohr underscored the stakes tied to that infrastructure: "Every Amazon order you do in Germany runs through these cables. So we need to keep a constant eye on them."
Washington's presence in Iceland hasn't disappeared entirely — American personnel are helping construct new military facilities at Keflavik airport and continue contributing to exercise planning. Still, the report said the absence of US ships and aircraft this year represents a marked departure from previous years.
During last month's annual Northern Viking exercise, German surveillance aircraft, Canadian warships and Belgian fighter jets operated off the coast of Iceland, honing their ability to detect and track submarines beneath the waves.
Notably, the report pointed out that no US ships or aircraft joined the maritime drill — the first time in decades that Washington sat out the exercise entirely.
Led by French Rear Admiral Nicolas Molitor, the exercise was designed to show that European allies and Canada can uphold security in the strategically vital North Atlantic without direct US military leadership.
Iceland's defense chief Jonas Allansson was quoted saying: "We see Europe and Canada stepping up, and we see it literally here in Iceland."
According to the report, Iceland sits near the strategically critical Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) Gap — a key maritime corridor Russian submarines use to reach the Atlantic from bases on Russia's Kola Peninsula.
A senior NATO official reportedly explained the stakes: "For NATO and for Russia, this is really a dividing line. For the Russians, if they can control access to that gap, and get their submarines on the other side of it, then they've got free reign of the Atlantic and can hold bases on both sides of the Atlantic at risk."
The report noted growing unease among some NATO members — not just over Russia's nuclear and conventional military strength, but also over threats to critical undersea infrastructure such as internet cables and pipelines.
German Navy Commander Peter Flohr underscored the stakes tied to that infrastructure: "Every Amazon order you do in Germany runs through these cables. So we need to keep a constant eye on them."
Washington's presence in Iceland hasn't disappeared entirely — American personnel are helping construct new military facilities at Keflavik airport and continue contributing to exercise planning. Still, the report said the absence of US ships and aircraft this year represents a marked departure from previous years.
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