{"id":160243,"date":"2020-05-11T12:00:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=160243"},"modified":"2020-05-07T04:51:08","modified_gmt":"2020-05-07T03:51:08","slug":"what-pandemic-us-royal-navy-launch-cold-war-style-provocation-in-russias-arctic-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2020\/05\/what-pandemic-us-royal-navy-launch-cold-war-style-provocation-in-russias-arctic-backyard\/","title":{"rendered":"What Pandemic? US &#038; Royal Navy Launch Cold War-Style Provocation in Russia\u2019s Arctic Backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_160244\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/military-us.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-160244\" class=\"wp-image-160244\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/military-us.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/military-us.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/military-us-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/military-us-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-160244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook and USS Porter resupply on their way to the Barents Sea, April 28, 2020.<br \/>\u00a9 Royal Navy\/Dan Rosenbaum\/released<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>5 May 2020 &#8211; <\/em>Millions of Americans and Britons losing their livelihoods under Covid-19 lockdowns can rejoice that their navies are open for business, staging a show of force on Russia\u2019s doorstep for the first time since the Cold War.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article__text text \">\n<p>Three guided missile destroyers and a Royal Navy frigate sailed into the Barents Sea yesterday, to<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cassert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies,\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>according to the US 6th Fleet. The announcement was accompanied by hashtags such as #openforbusiness, #Powerforpeace and #strongertogether.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cIn these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we maintain our steady drumbeat of operations across the European theater,\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Admiral Lisa Franchetti, 6th Fleet commander, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8&amp;\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 are operating together in the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BarentsSea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#BarentsSea<\/a> \u2693<\/p>\n<p>Four <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/US6thFleet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#US6thFleet<\/a> ships are sailing with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HMSKent?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#HMSKent<\/a>, conducting <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/maritimesecurity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#maritimesecurity<\/a> operations above the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Arctic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#Arctic<\/a> Circle. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Powerforpeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#Powerforpeace<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/openforbusiness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#openforbusiness<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/strongertogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#strongertogether<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreNATO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#WeAreNATO<\/a><br \/>Read about it here:  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/J8X7NbabA4\" >https:\/\/t.co\/J8X7NbabA4<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa\/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USNavyEurope\/status\/1257633389957517312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >May 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Arleigh Burke-class destroyers \u2013 USS <em>Donald Cook<\/em>, USS <em>Porter<\/em> and USS <em>Roosevelt<\/em> \u2013 were joined by HMS <em>Kent<\/em> and the support ship literally named USNS <em>Supply<\/em> for the mission intended to demonstrate NATO commitment<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cto promoting regional security and stability, while building trust and reinforcing a foundation of Arctic readiness,\u201d<\/em> according to Franchetti.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The fleet also made a point of reminding everyone that the last time NATO ships ventured into the Barents Sea was the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War between the US-led bloc and the long-gone Soviet Union. For some reason, the British and American naval planners thought the Covid-19 pandemic was the perfect time to bring back those good old days and poke the bear a bit.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/27khv\/status\/1257676472933920769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1257676472933920769&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fnews%2F487857-barents-sea-destroyers-provocation%2F<\/p>\n<p>The Barents Sea is Russia\u2019s equivalent of the Gulf of Mexico to the US, sitting between its major Arctic ports and the North Pole. With the Arctic looming large in strategic plans of both Moscow and Washington \u2013 remember the moves to <em>\u201cbuy\u201d<\/em> Greenland from Denmark? \u2013 the five ships\u2019 saunter through the icy waters is about far more than remaining<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cproficient in all operating environments to ensure the continued security and access to the seas,<\/em>\u201d as the 6th Fleet puts it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Yet the exercise has not involved any ships from the Royal Norwegian Navy, one of the few NATO navies actually proficient in Arctic operations. The Norwegians appear to be wary of needlessly antagonizing Russia. While Oslo is normally very vocal about taking part in NATO exercises, <em>\u201cthis time it was not prioritized,\u201d<\/em> Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told the Barents Observer.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Russia&#39;s Northern Fleet assets monitor the situation as a group of U.S. Navy surface ships sail the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BarentsSea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >#BarentsSea<\/a> for the first time since the mid-1980s.  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z0RoKLQVMg\" >https:\/\/t.co\/Z0RoKLQVMg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Barents Observer (@BarentsNews) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BarentsNews\/status\/1257366425385172995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >May 4, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The US Navy routinely makes a point of sending its ships to places like the South China Sea for <em>\u201cfreedom of navigation\u201d<\/em> operations (FONOP) \u2013 meaning, their freedom to go wherever they please. Two US ships played a game of nerves with the Chinese navy just last week. The Barents Sea operation seems to be designed along the same lines. It also involves two ships that have a lot of experience in poking Russia \u2013 and getting poked back in return.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Porter<\/em> has repeatedly sailed into the Black Sea over the past several years, where it was shadowed by Russian vessels and aircraft. The <em>Donald Cook<\/em> was famously buzzed by Russian jets in the Baltic sea in 2016, causing the Pentagon to complain about <em>\u201caggressive\u201d<\/em> and <em>\u201cunsafe\u201d<\/em> approaches.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/news\/339507-aggressive-interactions-russian-jets\/\" class=\"read-more-big\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span class=\"read-more-big__container\"> <span class=\"read-more-big__content\"> <span class=\"read-more-big__subtitle\">Also:<\/span> <span class=\"read-more-big__title\">\u2018Aggressive simulated attack\u2019: Pentagon decries Russian jets zooming over USS Donald Cook (VIDEO)<\/span> <\/span> <\/span> <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Both destroyers are normally based in Rota, Spain, where the weather on the worst of days is nowhere near as harsh as in the Arctic.<\/p>\n<p>Admiral Franchetti\u2019s comments about the importance of maintaining operations suggest that the US Navy is eager to show it can continue to operate as a global superpower even under pandemic circumstances. A number of its ships have been sidelined by Covid-19 outbreaks, to the point where the Pentagon is refusing to give out specific numbers anymore. In the most notorious incident, the aircraft carrier USS <em>Franklin D. Roosevelt<\/em> had to return to Guam after her captain publicly appealed to quarantine the crew, leading to both his dismissal and the resignation of the acting secretary of the Navy last month.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow has not commented on the Anglo-American deployment. In lieu of a statement, the Russian Northern Fleet simply <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nord-news.ru\/news\/2020\/05\/04\/?newsid=121151\" >announced<\/a> on Tuesday that it was <em>\u201cfollowing\u201d<\/em> the flotilla\u2019s movements, while the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov deployed out of Severomorsk for <em>\u201ccombat exercises in defending against enemy ships and aircraft\u201d<\/em> in the Barents Sea.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In the Barents Sea region of the shooting will be closed with the participation of the missile cruiser Marsh | src: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/J0QT2V2g6l\" >https:\/\/t.co\/J0QT2V2g6l<\/a> | rmw: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/g4u634d3sU\" >https:\/\/t.co\/g4u634d3sU<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cco78WzF2i\" >pic.twitter.com\/cco78WzF2i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; russiamilitarywatch (@russiamilitaryw) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/russiamilitaryw\/status\/1257697030811631624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >May 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/news\/487857-barents-sea-destroyers-provocation\/\" >Go to Original &#8211; rt.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>5 May 2020 &#8211; Millions of Americans and Britons losing their livelihoods under Covid-19 lockdowns can rejoice that their navies are open for business, staging a show of force on Russia\u2019s doorstep for the first time since the Cold War. Three guided missile destroyers and a Royal Navy frigate sailed into the Barents Sea yesterday, to \u201cassert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":160244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[120,267,504,291,1105,91,112,287,278,639,95,70,126,118,172,75],"class_list":["post-160243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-militarism","tag-conflict","tag-geopolitics","tag-international-relations","tag-military","tag-military-industrial-complex","tag-nato","tag-pentagon","tag-power","tag-russia","tag-uk","tag-us-military","tag-usa","tag-violence","tag-war","tag-west","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}