- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Russian Vessel Near US Submarine Base Sparks Pentagon Frenzy

© AP Photo / VICTORIA AROCHOThe Pentagon has expressed concern over cybersecurity threats.
The Pentagon has expressed concern over cybersecurity threats. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Conducting a routine scientific study of ocean environments, a lone Russian research vessel has attracted a lot of attention from the Pentagon. Despite the fact that it’s moving through international waters, the Yantar is being monitored by US Navy ships, aircraft, and even reconnaissance satellites.

Last May, the Russian Navy christened its latest oceanographic research vessel. Built for deep sea research and rescue operations, it’s currently conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

"The Yantar is equipped with a unique on-board scientific research complex which enables it to collect data on the ocean environment, both in motion and on hold," said Alexei Burilichev, head of the deepwater research department at the Russian Defense Ministry. "There are no similar complexes anywhere."

Finnish troops - Sputnik International
Finnish Paranoia Rages On: Helsinki Hell-Bent on Defending Against Russia

But despite the Yantar’s peaceful purpose, its presence has put the US military on high-alert. 

Senior defense officials speaking to Fox News say they have been monitoring the vessel since it was first spotted by satellites in the North Atlantic, believing it to be a spy ship.

Now that it’s nearing its destination of Cuba, officials have raised panic over the fact that the Yantar is 300 miles off the coast of a US submarine base in Kings Bay, Georgia. Never mind that the ship’s location is in international waters and part of an ordinary sea route to Cuba.

"I can confirm that we are aware of the Russian vessel operating in international waters off the East Coast of the United States," Pentagon Lieutenant Colonel Tom Crosson told Sputnik. "We [US Department of Defense] are not discussing this with Russia."

© Sputnik / Igor Zarembo / Go to the mediabankLaunching oceanographic ship "Yantar"
Launching oceanographic ship Yantar - Sputnik International
Launching oceanographic ship "Yantar"

According to the Washington Free Beacon, Pentagon officials believe that the ship’s research equipment is being used to surveil the seafloor for sensors, and may even be cutting underwater communication cables.

The robotic Sea Hunter will silently follow potentially hostile submarines. - Sputnik International
Pentagon Launches Submarine-Tracking Unmanned 'Ghost Ships' This Fall

"It seems more likely they’d use their underwater sensors to map out defenses to prepare for future operations, and to avoid, blind, or destroy the sensors," Steffan Watkins, an intelligence analyst who monitors Russian ship movements, told the Free Beacon.

No justification was offered for those claims, and officials gave no indications that any cables were, in fact, severed. The Pentagon would surely notice that kind of damage immediately.

These suspicions seem to be based entirely on the fact that the Yantar contains gear capable of cutting cables, but as the Free Beacon points out, those are “used to rescue submarines if they become entangled” in underwater obstacles.

This could in fact be a case of the US military projecting its own actions onto others.

A Tomahawk cruise missile is seen emerging from the ocean after being launched from the USS Florida. - Sputnik International
Pentagon Building Cruise Missile Shield Across US, Citing 'Russian Threat'

When asked by Fox News if the US used scientific research vessels to conduct covert reconnaissance missions, an anonymous senior defense official gave an interesting response.

"Of course we do," he said, "what do you think all those 'oceanographic ships' are doing, studying whales?"

US intelligence will likely continue to monitor the Yantar as it continues its operations. Lieutenant Crosson did, however, acknowledge that the US recognizes the freedom of all sovereign nations to navigate in international waters, as well as visit countries with which they have concluded agreements.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала