US warships went on another mission to a European hotspot, and Putin says they’re in Russia’s ‘crosshairs’

[ad_1]

USS Mount Whitney with the Romanian frigate Marasesti in the Black Sea, November 12, 2021.US Navy Forces Europe-Africa

• In early November, US Navy ships, including the flagships of the Sixth Fleet, returned to the Black Sea.

• The visit is a sign of the US increasing focus on the region where NATO forces are spending more time.

• The increased military activity reflects the strategic value of the sea amid tensions between NATO and Russia.

On November 12, the flagship of the US Navy’s 6th Fleet, the USS Mount Whitney, and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Porter reached the Black Sea port of Constanta in Romania after a visit to Batumi, Georgia.

The US warships operated with NATO allies and partners in the Black Sea, according to the US European Command, and their deployment came shortly after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to the region.

Russia was outraged by this activity.

At a meeting with Russian military leaders, President Vladimir Putin appeared to be threatening US warships, saying Russian forces could get a glimpse of the USS Mount Whitney “through binoculars or through the crosshairs of appropriate defense systems”.

Putin’s comments come amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO. Seven years after Russia conquered Crimea and with tensions simmering in other parts of Eastern Europe, the Black Sea remains a hotspot – and it could heat up.

Transcontinental Nexus

Google Maps

The Black Sea is strategically located and connects the Caucasus with Europe along the southwestern flank of Russia. It contains some of Russia’s only hot water ports and provides Russia with access to the Mediterranean Sea and waters beyond.

The sea plays a prominent role in the Russian defense and security architecture, as the supremacy there is considered crucial for Russian security and for supporting the projection of power far from the Russian coast. It also enables Moscow to challenge NATO.

The region “is the site of the Kremlin’s tests against the credibility and determination of the alliance, which have escalated in conventional and non-conventional areas over the past two decades,” Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis, told a think tank in October a Senate hearing.

The story goes on

These tests include close encounters with NATO forces at sea and in the air, as well as attacks on Ukraine and Georgia, which are NATO partners seeking full membership.

NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea – such as the visit to Austin and the exercises of the 6th

A Russian lake

President Vladimir Putin inspects the anti-submarine ship Vice Admiral Kulakov in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, September 23, 2014.Mikhail Klimentiev / Reuters

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Black Sea Fleet was forgotten.

With Russia’s 2008 military reforms and its 2011-2020 state armaments program, the Black Sea Fleet became a lighter, more agile force capable of operating in coastal areas and surrounding waters.

The main elements of the fleet are three Admiral Grigorovich-class guided missile frigates built after the 2014 Crimean crisis, two Krivak-class guided missile frigates and their flagship, Slava-class guided missile cruiser Moskva. It also includes six new improved Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarines and one older Kilo class submarine.

These ships are supported by a variety of smaller and auxiliary vessels, including six guided missile corvettes and five missile boats, demonstrating the coastal capabilities of the fleet.

The fleet is supplemented by the newly formed 22nd Army Corps, an air defense and two aviation divisions based in the Crimea and an air defense division based in Rostov-on-Don.

Moscow is also strengthening its anti-entry / denial-of-territory capabilities in the Black Sea, particularly around the Crimea, to protect its warships and repel rival forces. In addition to the fleet’s ability to strike from a distance, there are 108 sea-launched cruise missiles from Calibrate, which have a maximum range of approximately 1,200 miles.

The Black Sea members and partners of NATO are militarily disadvantaged compared to Russia.

USS Porter and other ships cross the Black Sea behind the amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, June 19, 2020.US Navy / MC3 Griffin Kersting

Romania has a fleet of three frigates, seven corvettes, a handful of auxiliary boats and an old Kilo-class submarine. Bulgaria is not doing much better with four frigates, three corvettes, and a few auxiliary vessels, most of them mine sweepers.

Turkey has a sizeable and capable navy, but its warming ties with Russia and alienation from NATO have cast doubts about its commitment to the alliance.

Ukraine is rebuilding its naval forces after the loss of Crimea, and Georgia, the smallest Black Sea state, has only one coast guard.

In a conflict with Russia, these countries would likely seek outside help, but there are limits to what can be done outside of those countries.

The Montreux Convention of 1936 restricts what type of ships and how many ships non-Black Sea countries are allowed to send into the sea. It also limits their stay to 21 days, and Turkey must be warned of any transit in or out of the sea.

These borders benefit Russia and hinder what the US can do. Only three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the US Navy are allowed to be in the Black Sea at any one time. But an Arleigh Burke is a powerful platform. Anyone can carry 56 Tomahawk missiles, which have roughly the same range as the calibr.

While two Arleigh Burkes could keep up with the Calibr combination of the Black Sea Fleet, Russia is watching their movements closely.

Adaptation to a new landscape

The flagship of the U.S. Navy’s sixth fleet USS Mount Whitney in Batumi, Georgia, November 2021.US Navy Forces Europe-Africa

The Black Sea nations are working alone and with NATO to enhance their ability to counter Russia by overcoming the region’s geographic and political constraints.

Romania is already home to an Aegis land-based ballistic defense missile system and is expanding facilities to accommodate additional NATO troops. Bulgaria is working with the US to expand its military capabilities. Ukraine has taken a number of steps to modernize and expand its own military.

In the weeks since Austin’s visit, officials in the region and U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to do more to assist the countries there, including additional arms sales and troop deployment. Others have advocated developing a clearer deterrent strategy for the region.

The USS Mount Whitney began sailing out of the Black Sea on November 15, and USS Porter followed on November 16. Such missions often arouse Russian anger, but the US shows no signs of withdrawing from the collective defense of the European region and strengthening the strength of the NATO alliance. “

Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a Masters Degree in Security Studies and European Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Read the original article on Business Insider

[ad_2]
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-warships-went-another-mission-232026661.html