US unable to be fully in lockstep with Russian subs: Official

A senior US Navy official has stated that Russia has been deploying combat submarines and missiles in scales that America has issues keeping pace with.

Admiral Mark Ferguson, commander of US Naval Forces in Europe, has told CNN that Russia is deploying new submarines that are harder for the American Navy to track and detect.

He said that is partly due to the NATO military alliance’s eastward expansion in the post-Cold War world.

"NATO is viewed as an existential threat to Russia, and in the post-Cold War period, the expansion of NATO eastward closer to Russia and our military capability they view as a very visceral threat to Russia," said the commander.

They are quieter, better armed and have a greater range of operation, noted Ferguson.

"The submarines that we're seeing are much more stealthy. We're seeing [the Russians] have more advanced weapons systems, missile systems that can attack land at long ranges, and we also see their operating proficiency is getting better as they range farther from home waters."

"We cannot maintain 100% awareness of Russian sub activity today," retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, told CNN. "Our attack subs are better, but not by much. Russian subs pose an existential threat to US carrier groups."

The US currently has 53 submarines in its inventory, but because of decommissioning and budget decisions, Ferguson said that figure will drop to 41 by the late 2020s, the report added.

SS