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ON BOARD USS MOUNT WHITNEY (NORWAY) – The roar of a low-altitude Soviet warplane marked the unexpected arrival of Russia in the largest military exercise of its kind. NATO since the end of the cold war.
NATO forces aboard USS Moutn Whitnes watch Russian Tupolev aircraft TU-142 scroll past
Marines aboard the USS Mount Whitney, off the Norwegian coast, had gathered to take a group photo on the bridge when the Tupolev TU-142 gained momentum.
"It's a long-range maritime patrol reconnaissance plane," said one fascinated sailor after taking an expert look at the visitor.
Although he saw many images of the plane, it was the first time that he saw it live, so to speak.
Russia has already expressed its dissatisfaction with NATO's Trident Juncture exercises, the most important of the alliance since the end of the cold war.
They warned that the two-week exercise, which he sees as a demonstration of anti-Russian strength, would not remain unanswered.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two Tupolev TU-142 carried out a "planned flight" of more than 12 hours.
"All flights made by the Russian fleet's airplanes are carried out in strict compliance with the regulations of the international airspace," the ministry said Saturday, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
Several states, including Sweden, Turkey and the Baltic States, have complained of violations of Russian airspace in recent years.
Last week, Moscow also announced plans to test missiles in the region.
According to Avinor, the public operator of most of Norway's civilian airports, Russia sent a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) regarding missile tests carried out from 1 to 3 November in the Norwegian Sea.
Any missile test "will not change the plan of our exercise," said Wednesday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"We have not seen anything that looks like a missile test, or even ships or planes in the area that could be useful for documenting or monitoring missile tests," said Robert Aguilar, captain of the USS Mount Whitney.
– Remains of the cold war –
The Tupolev passage seemed to be part of Russia's response.
But Colonel Garth Manger, a British Royal Marine in charge of operational duties aboard the American ship, seizes it.
"They are watching us and we are watching them," he said.
Like the Tupolev, the USS Mount Whitney is a remnant of the Cold War era.
Third oldest ship of the US Navy and the flagship of the US 6th Fleet, it has nearly 50 years of service.
Improved with the latest telecommunications equipment, he served as a command ship for Trident Juncture, which may have aroused the interest of Tupolev.
But if the overflight provoked shouts of sailors aboard Mount Whitney, senior officers minimized any provocation.
"We are at sea, everyone has the right to be here.These are international waters, an international airspace," said British Admiral Guy Robinson, second in command of the Maritime Task Force .
"So we're watching the exercise closely, but all we see in this exercise is that they've been safe and professional."
Jason Bohm, commander of the US Marines participating in the exercise, was equally phlegmatic: "The most important problem we had during this exercise was the weather."
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