Russian submarine activity increases around Atlantic internet cables

I hope I chose the correct forum. If not, please feel free to move it.

BRUSSELS — Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials.

The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft.

“We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don’t believe we have ever seen,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATO’s submarine forces. “Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations’ undersea infrastructure.”

NATO has responded with plans to reestablish a command post, shuttered after the Cold War, to help secure the North Atlantic. NATO allies are also rushing to boost anti-submarine warfare capabilities and to develop advanced submarine-detecting planes.

Britain’s top military commander also warned that Russia could imperil the cables that form the backbone of the modern global economy. The privately owned lines, laid along the some of the same corridors as the first transatlantic telegraph wire in 1858, carry nearly all of the communications on the Internet, facilitating trillions of dollars of daily trade. If severed, they could snarl the Web. If tapped, they could give Russia a valuable picture of the tide of the world’s Internet traffic.

Washington Post

They're constantly penetrating our airspace too. Gauging our response, and looking for weaknesses. General Neller hit the nail on the head.

Great moment too:

Germany’s Entire Submarine Fleet Is Out of Commission.




ETA Almost All of the UK's Surface Combatants Are in Port While Germany Has No Working Subs.

this isnt really new at all and govts have been tapping into the undersea communications networks for decades. even going ot such extents as to build whole facilities piggy backing on the lines. youd be amazed whats out there on all sides. i personally wouldnt be too worried about it. u cant cut one line and knock out all communications. we have various ways of communicating even if all those undersea lines were compromised.

heres abit about it

Operation Ivy Bells

a reply to: TheScale

Agreed. Though, I think they're more concerned about eavesdropping and mass scale malware deployment, if possible.

They want a better way to access the dark web...

...So even more Russians can sell hacked Paypal accounts and stolen credit card numbers!

There ya go. Lets start a war with submarine powers so we can get all the ocean Internet cables blown up. Then everyone should start shooting at satellites so we can get overbearing space junk. Then maybe launch a few EMP's. The bright side is we wont have to worry as much about Skynet.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Why not? Most people here claim to eat only the non-GMO organic food they grow themselves (NOT fast food) along with animals they shoot. Facebook is evil, and the MSM is a joke. Sounds like they'd revel in the downfall of modern society.

Oh, and movie/TV is all evil brainwashing as well. Better off without all that too, as no one here watches any of that either anyway...

Most people here fantasize about a Mad Max world, where their mall ninja skills and prepper gear will make them valuable "heroes".

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
There ya go. Lets start a war with submarine powers so we can get all the ocean Internet cables blown up. Then everyone should start shooting at satellites so we can get overbearing space junk. Then maybe launch a few EMP's. The bright side is we wont have to worry as much about Skynet.

sorry to burst your bubble but the wars have never ended for the submariners. its ongoing and hasent stopped since the cold war. were trying to track each one of them and they are tracking us. its why we know what they are up to and its public knowledge. dont worry too much though. the US has been spinning back up bits of its navy aswell to combat these threats

a reply to: TheScale

this isnt really new at all and govts have been tapping into the undersea communications networks for decades.

Precisely, we've even expanded NSA capabilities abroad (off the top of my head UK, and Australia).

You also have to assume that the cooperation with software companies and the US government like apple and Google implies foreign devices.

Nothing new, same game with different rules.

a reply to: jaymp

So what if they are taking an interest in the cables. I would be surprised if they where not.

The way I see it, we've been eavesdropped on by our own government since WWII ... for a while, they called it "Echolon".

So, now the Russians decided to put some "anti-spy" malware on the cables, so they can surf their Porn freely.

Yay, I say ... good job ol' sport :-)

If we ever do enter a war with Russia, I'll bet they sever those cables and find other ways to disrupt the internet and electronics for those in the west. Just like North Korea could EMP over half the country in one strike.

The subs and other subs are all online to cut, that has been known for over 20 years now. Now go drink another beer and tell us what you think is really "news".

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Yeah, nothing new about this. If anything Russia is playing catch-up, we never stopped and that whole collapse of the USSR thing knocked them back a bit.

In the UK all the spying stuff was never shut off, it just evolved. The likes of the Menwith Hill installation are still running, as ATSers we've probably heard of the likes of ECHELON.

The UK top brass came out with similar comments a couple of month ago... When US officials were touring the UK.

Struggling to find the report... It seems it's been a theme that's been ran with since the summer.

a reply to: RAY1990

Yeah, nothing new about this. If anything Russia is playing catch-up, we never stopped and that whole collapse of the USSR thing knocked them back a bit.

Texas, New York, and California all have more powerful economies than Russia.

That being said, they're a proud country, and are very utilitarian with how they project influence.

They've always had programs that rival our big spending without the flash and bling for lack of better terms.

In no way am I trying to glorify or glamorize them, merely understand them.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Ask Putin...

He has stated in the past that Russia will not play the "who has the biggest bankroll" game. I can't blame them either, I imagine he often considers the failings of the USSR.

US - billions on anti-missile technology.

Russia - Pushes money into MIRV technology.

The tables have been reversed, the US seriously doesn't seem to mind either. I mean, a conflict with the West only goes one way anyways, kinda pointless spending trillions on tanks, planes and ships.

Nope, this might be ignorant of me but I believe Russia wants to scare us into spending more and more money.

Armies, gadgets and such are utterly useless in a nuclear scenario.

Russia can't catch up I'm guessing, hence the "playing" comment, we all know China is the one to keep up. They have the financial clout to chase such endeavours.

The West can't out-cash China though, it's why the game is different with China. IMHO.

a reply to: jaymp

uS does that too.

But more relevant, did you know there are NATO tanks along Russia's border in Poland? There hasn't been German armor on the Russian border since WWII.

Anyone thinks the Russians take that lightly is an idiot.

image search

Yaaaawnnn, that russia is evil and the west stands absolutely for the good thing is so boring and ridicolous.
I mean, why is the NATO not concerned about the activities of others, with submarines like, for example, the USS Jimmy Carter?

Wikipedia(german)

Die USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) ist ein Atom-U-Boot der Seawolf-Klasse, das für Spezialoperationen (insbesondere das Ausspähen von Daten aus Seekabeln) modifiziert wurde

The USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is a nuclear submarine boat of the seawulf class, that was modified for special operations(especially for spying out data from undersea cables)
Link

Just as an example, the english wikipedia:

USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is the third and last Seawolf-class submarine in the United States Navy. She is named for Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States; Carter is the only President who had qualified in submarines, having served as a Communications Officer, Sonar Officer, Electronics Officer, Weapons Officer, and Supply Officer while on board USS Pomfret.[1] Jimmy Carter is one of the few ships of the United States Navy (and only the third submarine) to have been named for a person who was alive at the time of the ship's naming, and the only submarine to be named for a living former president.

Link

"Coincidentally" nothing about that sniffing part... xD

Why we know about that submarine and it´s purpose:

Global surveillance disclosures (2013–present)

We should kick EVERYbody, EVERY nation, EVERY secret service, EVERY corporation that misuses the web to spy on all of the people worldwide, into the deepest hole we can find and after that we should put the biggest rock we can find on the entrance of that hole. And leave it there, forever!