NATO Responds to Sabotage of Critical Undersea Infrastructure

On 23 October 2023,the Swedish government announced that an undersea telecommunications cable had been damaged through external force or tampering on 7 October.The cable connects to the Baltic State of Estonia.Two hours later on 7 October,the Balticonnector gas pipeline was sabotaged,and another undersea telecom cable as well.Two civilian vessels were present at all three incidents:Russian freighter Sevmorput and Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship Newnew Polar Bear.This is called grayzone aggression,a form of hybrid warfare that attacks undersea infrastructure.This form of hybrid warfare untilises proxy groups;private companies;civilian contractors;and other non-military actors.* For its part,NATO announced it was increasing patrols in the Baltic Sea Region on 19 October 2023.This consists of more surveillance flights by NATO E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft;new patrols by Maritime Patrol Aircraft and surveillance drones.Four NATO minesweepers are also being deployed.These can send Unmanned Undersea Vehicles to inspect for cable and pipeline damage.They also have sonar to detect undersea activity with,plus radar.* Said NATO acting spokesperson Dylan White:We continue to monitor the situation closely,and we remain in close contact with our Allies Estonia and Finland,and our partner Sweden.NATO will continue to adapt its maritime posture in the Baltic Sea and will take all necessary measures to keep its Allies safe.In September 2022,it was noted that the Nord Stream gas pipeline had been sabotaged.Since that time,NATO has enhanced patrols near critical undersea infrastructure and utilised technological innovation to better detect suspicious activity.NATO also created an undersea infrastructure coordination cell to deepen ties between government,military and industry actors.It also established the NATO Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure within Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood,UK.* On 12 October 2023,NATO Defence Ministers and the Swedish Defence Ministry endorsed the Digital Ocean Vision,a new initiative to enhance NATO's maritime situational awareness from seabed to space.The DOV will transform Allied maritime domain awareness by enhancing coordination between Allied and national capabilities utilised for maritime surveillance.The programme includes a broad range of assets from satellites to autonomous systems below,on,or above the sea,the Alliance said.* Minesweepers have sonar,radar and minesweeping gear.The sonar detects and classifies targets and then the minesweepers deploy divers or Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) to inspect and neutralise threats with explosive charges.For self-defence,they are armed with 20mm guns and machine guns.

Arctic Defence:Operation NOBLE DEFENDER

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) sucessfully completed Operation NOBLE DEFENDER,a dynamic force employment operation,last month.It ran from 15-31 January 2023.The drills spanned multiple locations from Alaska to Greenland.Said NORAD and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) commander General Glen Van Herck,US Air Force: Operation NOBLE DEFENDER sucessfully demonstrated our willingness and capability to conduct operations above the Arctic Circle in even the harshest weather conditions,and proved a concept of integration with key Arctic partners to defend northern approaches to North America.* Locations of OND included Thule Air Base,Greenland;Iqaluit Forward Operating Location,Nunavut,Canada;5 Wing Goose Bay,Newfoundland and Labrador,Canada;and Eielson Air Force Base,Alaska.Some 225 US Forces and Canadian Forces personnel supported and operated a wide range of aircraft,including four F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters;three Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets;four KC-135 refueling tankers;one RCAF Airbus CC-150 Polaris transport/refueling tanker;one E-3 Sentry AWACS;and one Canadian Forces AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter.* OND marked an historic first-ever deployment of F-35As to Thule Air Base,Greenland,with the permission of NATO Ally the Kingdom of Denmark.* The drills culminated with CF-18 Hornets escorting a U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber posing as an adversary through Northern Canada and the Central US.The joint operation demonstrated collaboration and integration with mission partners to defend the entirety of our northern approaches and the necessity of force integration to the defence of North America.* In the course of OND,CF-18 Hornets from 3 Wing,Bagotville,Quebec took off from Iqaluit Airport in Nunavut.Special Operations Forces from U.S. Special Operations Command North parachuted out of a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter to a location off the Bering Sea.F-22 Raptors soared overhead and inflatable boats from Commander Naval Special Warfare Group One headed for shore.* OND is a recurring operation throughout the year,maintaining mission readiness in varied environments and preserving the capacity for follow-on operations,NORAD said.OND validates the command's capability to defend the US and Canada against threats from every avenue of approach to the continent.This is especilly relevant in light of Russia's Arctic buildup in recent years as they revamped Cold War bases and built new ones.China is also stepping up its Arctic military operations.*

NORAD News:Russian Bombers and Fighters Make Show of Force Near Alaska

According to a press release,on 20 May 2019,NORAD responded to multiple challenges presented by Russian military aircraft.Initially,two Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers were intercepted in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by two US Air Force F-22 Raptor fifth generation fighter jets.Oddly,Russia then sent a second wave of aircraft,two more Tu-95s,plus two Su-35 fighter jets as well,into the ADIZ.These were met by two more F-22s,plus an E-3 Sentry AWACS for overall surveillance of the incident.
All the Russian aircraft remained in international air space.
According to NORAD Commander GEN Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy,US Air Force:
NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the U.S.Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens,vital infrastructure,and national institutions starts with successfully detecting,tracking,and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace.*
NORAD explains that it:
employs a layered defense network of radars,satellites,and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response.*
On 26 January 2019,NORAD had deployed an E-3 Sentry AWACS;two F-22 fighters;and two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighters to intercept two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers when the Blackjacks entered the Canadian Air Defence Indentification Zone.

Russian Bombers Draw Intense NORAD Response

At 1240 hours Eastern,a tweet from NORAD/USNORTHCOM stated that two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entered the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on 26 January 2019.The bombers remained in international airspace and did not enter sovereign territory.What was extraordinary was that five NORAD aircraft were launched to identify and intercept the Blackjacks, when normally it would just be a few fighter jets.*
This time,it was a full-on response with an E-3 AWACS,two US Air Force F-22 Raptors and two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets.It may have to do with Canada's recent expansion of it's AIDZ to include the  Canadian Arctic in light of Russia's increased activity in the region.Then too,it may also have to do with the current tension over Venezuela between Russia and the West.

Operation Inherent Resolve:Pounding ISIL From the Air - plus NATO AWACS now involved

According to a news release from Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve,US and coalition forces continued to press their campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 1 November.Attack,bomber,fighter and remotely piloted aircraft,as well as rocket artillery,participated in the raids over Iraq,which are coordinated with and in support of the government of Iraq.Among the results reported were:
-Near Beiji,a strike destroyed an ISIL supply boat and a weapons cache.
-Near the ISIL stronghold Mosul,which has been encircled and is currently under ground assault by Iraqi Security Forces and their allies,three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units,destroying four vehicles,a mortar system and a fighting position;damaging two other fighting positions;and suppressing three tactical units,two heavy machine guns and a mortar system.
-Near Sinjar,a strke destroyed an ISIL fighting position.*
Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the US,Australia,Belgium,Canada,Denmark,France,Jordan,the Netherlands,Saudi Arabia,Turkey,the UAE and the UK.The US and France are known to have been conducting artillery strikes.*
NATO E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft are now providing military intelligence in the form of surveillance and situational awareness to OIR.The fleet of 16 aircraft,based at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen,Germany,are staffed by multinational crews drawn from NATO Allies.They may be forward-deployed to operating bases in Greece,Italy,Norway and Turkey.Staying in international airspace or over Turkey,their radars will monitor medium altitude targets in Iraq and Syria within 520 kilometers;and low flying targets within 400 kilometers.