NATO launches biggest military drills in Eastern Europe since Cold War

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Nato launches biggest war game in eastern Europe since cold war amid Russia tensions

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/06/nato-launches-biggest-war-game-in-eastern-europe-since-cold-war/

Poland and its NATO partners on Monday kicked off their largest-ever joint military exercises aimed at shoring up security on the alliance's eastern flank amid the West's worst standoff with Russia since the end of the Cold War.

The two-week long Anaconda manoeuvres are aimed at "checking the alliance's ability to defend its eastern flank," Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said at formal opening ceremonies in Warsaw before troops hit the ground on Tuesday.

More than 31,000 soldiers from 24 NATO and former-Soviet "Partnership for Peace" states including Ukraine are taking part in the manoeuvres, held biannually across Poland since 2006.

Some 14,000 US troops will join 12,000 Polish soldiers and around 1,000 from Britain for the exercises involving some 3,000 vehicles, 105 planes and 12 naval vessels.

US Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley said the American presence "demonstrates that we are shoulder to shoulder with the Polish people" and that the exercises would "improve our collective readiness."

They come a month ahead of a "landmark" NATO summit in Warsaw set to seal its largest revamp since the Cold War by deploying more troop rotations in eastern European members spooked by Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Russia is fiercely opposed to the move, billed by NATO as its "deter and dialogue" strategy.

While NATO cut all practical cooperation with Moscow following Russia's Ukraine intervention, the US-led alliance has said it will hold formal talks with the Russians before the July 8-9 summit.

But just last month Moscow and Washington accused each other of mounting an aggressive military presence in northern Europe as the United States broke ground on a missile shield in NATO allies Poland and Romania.

Russia has vowed to "end threats" posed by the system, despite US assurances that it is intended to ward of potential attacks by so-called "rogue states" in the Middle East.

The Kremlin said it would set up three new divisions in the west and south of the country by the end of the year to counter NATO forces close to its border.

Macierewicz said on Monday that Polish paramilitary forces will take part in the Anaconda exercises for the first time, part of Warsaw's strategy to counter "hybrid warfare".

That tactic is based on deception rather than a formal declaration of war, NATO strategists say and suggest Russia used it to annex Crimea by covertly deploying unidentified troops.

They also say the same tactic was used to engineer the pro-Moscow revolt in eastern Ukraine that followed.

Macierewicz said last week that Poland will soon enroll the first volunteers in a 35,000-member paramilitary force aimed at parrying a perceived hybrid threat from Russia.

Warsaw will use these new "territorial defence forces" to expand its armed forces next year to 150,000 men from the current 100,000.

Russia has long objected to NATO's expansion in its Soviet-era back yard and in 1997 NATO formally agreed not to install permanent bases in former Warsaw Pact states.

In line with the agreement, the Pentagon said in March it would deploy an additional armoured brigade of about 4,200 troops in eastern Europe from early 2017 on a rotational basis - not a permanent base.

NATO has been careful to reassure Moscow ahead of the July summit, with its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisting "the Cold War is history and we want it to stay that way."

British navy intercepts Russian submarine on way to Channel

Stary Oskol, which can carry cruise missiles and torpedoes, first detected in North Sea, which Nato forces were monitoring

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/08/british-navy-intercepts-russian-submarine-channel-nato

The Royal Navy has intercepted a Russian submarine as it cruised towards the Channel. The sub was being escorted by the frigate HMS Kent on Tuesday evening and was expected to pass the strait of Dover on Wednesday morning.

It is understood that the Stary Oskol, a Kilo-class submarine capable of carrying cruise missiles and torpedoes, was first detected in the North Sea, where Nato forces are monitoring the waters.

The Ministry of Defence said it would continue to be shadowed by the Type 23 Duke-class frigate, which had been taking part in commemorations for the Battle of Jutland centenary.

The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, said: “This shows that the navy is maintaining a vigilant watch in international and territorial waters to keep Britain safe and protect us from potential threats.”

HMS Kent’s commanding officer, Cdr Daniel Thomas, said: “Locating this submarine was a combined effort with Nato allies and shadowing such units is routine activity for the Royal Navy.

“We continue to escort the submarine as it conducts its passage, providing a visible presence.”

The incident is the latest face-off between the British and Russian militaries following several incursions by aircraft in skies around the UK.

In April 2015 a trawler was dragged violently by its nets while fishing 18 miles off the coast of Northern Ireland, leading to suspicions they had snagged on a Russian submarine.

However, the Royal Navy later said that a UK submarine was responsible for snagging the trawler’s nets.