The New Cold War: A look into the most crucial tools

How Russia Gave America a Taste of Cold War Cat and Mouse

A recent cat and mouse game between U.S. warships and a Russian submarine harkened back to the Cold War. With “a resurgence in Russian submarine technology” it could also be a sign of things to come, reports Julian E. Barnes for the Wall Street Journal.

“With both U.S. and Russian forces crossing paths in Syria, each pursuing distinct and sometimes conflicting agendas, the battlefield has grown more complicated. The Russians have given only limited warnings of their strikes to the U.S.-led coalition. That has required the U.S. and its allies to keep a close eye on Russian submarines hiding in the Mediterranean,” Barnes writes.

“Nuclear-armed submarines are the cornerstone of the U.S. and U.K.’s strategic deterrent. For the U.S., these subs make up one leg of the so-called triad of nuclear forces -- serving, essentially, as a retaliatory strike force.

“Smaller attack submarines like the Krasnodar, armed with conventional torpedoes and cruise missiles, can pose a more tangible threat to U.S. aircraft carriers, which are the Navy’s most important weapon to project American power around the world.”

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