Satellite images confirm suspicions as Russian submarine ‘threatens’ US carrier: NATO reacts
NATO aircraft launched nearly 30 missions over the Arctic after reports that a Russian submarine had confronted the USS Gerald R. Ford.
According to British, Danish and Norwegian media, a Russian nuclear submarine is said to have “threatened” the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Arctic, prompting NATO to launch an intense aerial operation to track it down.
Danish press reported that at least 27 patrol missions were flown by P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, taking off from Scotland and from Norway’s Evenes air base, just above the Arctic Circle. The Sun noted that the US Navy also joined the search with planes deployed from Iceland, reinforced by personnel flown in from Sicily.
The operation began on Sunday around 7:00 p.m. ET and lasted almost 48 hours. During that time, aircraft repeatedly scoured the same patch of sea. As one British outlet put it: “This is a very unusual escalation.” Flight data showed a UK aircraft circling for hours over the deep waters west of the Lofoten Islands, where the seabed plunges more than 3,000 feet.
Satellite images analyzed by Norway’s Barents Observer confirmed the presence of three Yasen-M class nuclear submarines from Russia’s Northern Fleet – the Severodvinsk, the Kazan and the Arkhangelsk. Among the quietest and most lethal in Russia’s arsenal, these vessels are armed with torpedoes and cruise missiles. The precise position of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, remains undisclosed, though it is operating with Norwegian warships off the country’s northern coast.
Military analysts interpret NATO’s flights as a pointed message to Moscow. A former Royal Navy officer told the Daily Mail: “This is NATO showing that it’s in control.” Ex-commander Tom Sharpe agreed: “It looks like they’ve found a Russian submarine and are leaning on it hard. By doing that, NATO is saying to Russia: ‘We’ve got you in our sights.’”
Officially, the militaries involved are withholding details. A Norwegian Army spokesman told the Barents Observer: “For security reasons, no further information is provided on ongoing operations.” The US fleet limited itself to saying on Facebook that the drills aim to “ensure security and stability against hostile influences on critical maritime routes.”
Geopolitical backdrop
The incident comes amid a wider escalation in the Arctic. NATO has sharply increased its presence in the region in recent years. In 2022, the USS Harry S. Truman carried out maneuvers near the Lofoten Islands, and this August Washington deployed three B-1B Lancer bombers to Norway’s Ørland base.
Observers link this reinforcement to Russia’s upcoming large-scale exercise Zapad 2025, to be held with Belarus in mid-September.
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