(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — A United States nuclear-powered submarine was reportedly unaware that it was being “escorted” by a Russian Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft in an incident that occurred in the far eastern waters of Russia last March.
As revealed by Russian Navy Air Force Commander Colonel Andrey Pakhomov through the Sputnik news agency, the Russian ASW aircraft “escorted” the American nuclear submarine for nine hours.
“Throughout the nine-hour ‘escort’ mission, the American nuclear submarine was unaware that it was being ‘escorted’ because the Russian aircraft used passive detection and tracking methods,” he said.
The passive detection and tracking methods employed by the Russian ASW aircraft ensured that the “enemy” asset remained unaware that it had been detected and its movements were being tracked.
According to Pakhomov, the US nuclear submarine was busy monitoring the activities of warships under the Russian Pacific Fleet, remaining unaware that it had been detected and tracked by the Russian military aircraft.
“The US submarine was moving below the water surface and was unaware that it was being escorted. The US submarine thought no one was aware of its presence, but we escorted it for nine hours,” he said, as quoted by the TASS news agency.
So far, the United States Department of Defense has not provided any comments regarding the Russian claims.
The incident is believed to have taken place in the waters around Vladivostok in the far east of the country when the Russian Navy Commander conducted a surprise inspection of the warships under the fleet.
Vladivostok, located in the far east of Russia, serves as a base for the country’s Pacific Fleet. The Russian Navy Air Force is believed to use long-range reconnaissance aircraft and ASW Tupolev Tu-142, known as “Bear-F” in the West, a variant of the Tu-95 strategic bomber aircraft, for these operations.
Additionally, they utilize maritime patrol aircraft and ASW IL-38 “Dolphin” for ASW missions in the far eastern waters of Russia. The “Bear-F” aircraft is designed for long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare missions.
The development of ASW aircraft began in the 1960s, primarily to counter the threat posed by US nuclear submarines equipped with nuclear-guided ballistic missiles such as the “Polaris.”
It is believed that at least eight Tu-142 long-range ASW aircraft are in service with the Russian Pacific Fleet. — DSA
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