The Watch Staff
U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) with allies and partners continuously monitor Russian activities in the Indo-Pacific. The combatant commands comprise a crucial part of the globally integrated layered defense (GILD) network, which spans all regional boundaries and domains, enabling the seamless monitoring of global Russian maritime operations.
In his 2023 Congressional testimony, Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and USNORTHCOM, stated, “Within the last year, Russia has also placed their Severodvinsk-class submarines in the Pacific… And it is just a matter of probably a year or two before that is a persistent threat, 24 hours a day potentially.”
Kremlin propaganda recently has drawn attention to its new Severodvinsk-class and modernized Belgorod-class submarines. They were featured during a surprise combat-readiness inspection of the Pacific Fleet in April 2023.
Russia has attempted to deploy other covert maritime vessels across the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific. These vessels are watched by the Combatant Commands and its partners, ceaselessly monitored even as they attempt to pass through the perceived boundaries of U.S. combatant commands including USNORTHCOM, USINDOPACOM, United States European Command (USEUCOM) and United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).
USNORTHCOM and USINDOPACOM have experience coordinating the hand-off for tracking Russian operations in the Pacific. This joint and cross- command integration demonstrates the ability of the U.S., along with its partners and allies, to deter threats, provocations or attacks before they begin.
Gen. VanHerck has notified the U.S. Department of Defense and Congress about the increase in Russian out-of-area naval activity. In the NORAD and USNORTHCOM 2022 Posture Statement, he said, “Russia has fielded the first two of their nine planned Severodvinsk-class guided missile submarines, which are designed to deploy undetected within cruise missile range of our coastlines to threaten critical infrastructure during an escalating crisis.” Currently, three Severodvinsk submarines are in operation and a fourth will be commissioned within the next year. Russia has plans to build six more and has been modernizing some of its older submarines in hopes of equipping them with its new nuclear-capable Poseidon torpedoes.
The U.S. has also been modernizing its submarine fleet, which already outnumbers the Russian fleet. The U.S. Navy has been updating its Ohio-class submarines and began construction in 2022 on its most advanced Columbia-class submarines. The U.S. Navy began fielding the next-generation Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine (SSN) in 2006. There are currently 22 Virginia-class SSNs operating with over a dozen more being built. These submarines, including the Pacific-deployed USS Mississippi, carry 25 Mark-48 torpedoes as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can hit targets up to 1,600 kilometers away.
In addition to upgrading its submarine fleet, the U.S. has been making its submarines more visible to allies and would-be foes. U.S. ballistic missile subs (SSBN) are among the quietest submarines in the world. By revealing them, the U.S. signals that it can deploy them undetected to any ocean in the world.
The U.S. has also increased the visibility of its submarines in the Pacific, where 25 of its 49 attack subs are stationed. In April 2023, the U.S. announced it would deploy one of its Ohio-class SSBNs to the Western Pacific as part of its defense partnership with South Korea.
Additionally, the U.S. has expanded its Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) — already well established between USNORTHCOM and USEUCOM in the Atlantic — into the Pacific, a move VanHerck advocated during Congressional testimony.
According to USINDOPACOM, the IUSS detects and tracks submarines and collects acoustic and hydrographic information. It also maintains processing and communications equipment necessary to carry out the mission.
U.S. advances and investments in submarine technology and IUSS capabilities enable the United States, along with its partners and allies, to persistently surveil and rapidly respond to potential maritime threats globally. The close coordination between USNORTHCOM and the other combatant commands strengthens the U.S. GILD network and ensures that any Russian vessel that may pose a threat is consistently monitored or contested by the U.S. Navy.
IMAGE CREDIT: AFP/GETTY IMAGES