Pentagon: Russian Spy Ship, Tug Operating Near U.S.

Planes in the air in the Baltic...near England...troops massing...and now this. Amid heightened fears of Russias plans for a New Soviet Union this is not good news to read.

Seems that the Russians are off the US Coast and have been for over a month that we are being made aware of.

A Russian intelligence-gathering ship has been operating off the U.S. East Coast and near the Gulf of Mexico for the past month, the Pentagon said Thursday.

“We are aware that the Russian ships Viktor Leonov and Nikolay Chiker are currently operating in waters that are beyond U.S. territorial seas but near Cuba,” said Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman. “We respect the freedom of all nations, as reflected in international law, to operate military vessels beyond the territorial seas of other nations.”

The Leonov is an intelligence gathering ship outfitted with high-tech electronic spying gear. The Chiker is an ocean-going naval tug that has been accompanying the spy ship on its mission.

Pentagon officials suspect the ships were part of a spying operation since March against the U.S. nuclear missile submarine base at Kings Bay, Ga. and other U.S. military facilities

Both ships were detected operating off the coast of Florida near the U.S. Naval Station Mayport, Fla., which is south of the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.

The Russian intelligence gathering coincides with heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over Moscow’s recent military annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea.

Cuba is being used a point of launch for the operations.

In 2012 a Russian sub was found off the east coast.

Eavesdropping as well as testing if they could get close enough for an EMP strike maybe?

Source

The ship is observing the launch of Falcon 9 SpaceX CRS3 scheduled for early Sunday morning from the SLC-40 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Dragon C3 for its fifth operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.

The article, dated over one month ago on march 15, goes on to say that it is possible that the ships are here for other reasons, but to me this explanation makes more sense than anything else. Russian presence in the Atlantic is not surprising to me. It would be more surprising if they were not monitoring the US.

This twitter user has been tracking the ships since that time.

Im sure the good old US of A has 10x as many spy ships of its own just off the coast off Russia.

Its how the game is played.

Amid heightened fears of Russias plans for a New Soviet Union this is not good news to read.

a reply to: matafuchs

What happened to American that they have become like scared children....afraid of everything??

Fear is rarely based on rational logic.

Seems that the Russians are off the US Coast and have been for over a month that we are being made aware of

The US and it's NATO allies have been encircling Russia for the last 20 years....it's about time the Russians stood up and said, enough is enough.

I don't blame them one bit given the US's aggression pretty much everywhere.

In 2012 a Russian sub was found off the east coast.

You are aware that the US has Trident missile boats capable of launching nuclear hell, within striking distance of Russia at all times??

During and after the Cuban missile crisis the Russians had a nuclear sub base in Cuba to do the same to the US.

This is hardly new information. To that point...

Cuban Missile Crisis Secret Revealed – Four Soviet Submarines Came Within Moments Of Firing Nuclear-Armed Torpedoes At U.S. Fleet

Source

Eavesdropping as well as testing if they could get close enough for an EMP strike maybe?

I seriously doubt that...however if the US continues to poke the Russian bear...who knows??

I believe alot can happen with current situation, many powder kegs going off at the same time. But if anyone here even thinks Russia would launch nukes then where all done for anyway. What ever happens this won't go nuclear.

a reply to: matafuchs

I think it's more telling that the Pentagon is willing to talk about this than that these ships are there. It's a good way to let Russia and the public know that their presence is being monitored.

There is no doubt that both the US and UK governments are trying to reassure the public that they are aware of what's going on and have the capability to respond, while letting Putin know that his military is being closely monitored.

It's important to remember that there are a lot of other things going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of. For instance, perhaps intelligence could have suggesting that Russian politicians have discussed their capability to strike at key targets in the UK, they don't know that we know about that discussion, so when they fly jets near Scotland we immediately scramble jets to confront them and release that information to the public.

This would let Putin know that his discussions are not as secret and secure as he would like to believe, while showing the public that we have the capability to act in defense.

We are only seeing a fraction of what is actually happening behind the scenes, so something that might seem very straightforward actually has another ten layers to it that we have no clue about. Releasing of information to the public about these things is a part of that, the Pentagon could have not said anything, or declined to comment if asked. So, it's worth considering why that is.

originally posted by: deadcalm
I seriously doubt that...however if the US continues to poke the Russian bear...who knows??

The "Russian bear"?

Please, it's more like a "Russian abusive drunken husband".

a reply to: matafuchs

Did we not have a Russina ship in Cuban waters a few months back? Havana is only 90 miles from Key West...

Once again, this is the "spy ship" we are talking about. It is a product of the 1980s. It has been in the Caribbean for more than five months now. There have been SEVERAL ATS threads about it already. This is not new, not alarming, and not even really much of a concern any more.

Let me add that I am MUCH more concerned about the spying the NSA is doing...

its all tosh , same forces that control America also control Russia and china.
even on a geopolitical level they all depend on each other for financial survival.

its nothing more than scare tactics to push agenda's on a domestic front.

The terrorism front is drying up , lets bring back the commies , oh my god the worlds going to end , but make sure you still pay your mortgage.

I am more concerned that this 'news' is receiving media attention.

If the potUS announced that he was putting 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine, there would be a massive uprising in the states.

If we are fed skewed and biased information through our media, the majority can be led to believe and back almost anything.

I might feel differently if America had done some good in the countries they have invaded, but those countries are far worse off today than they were before our 'intervention'.

Yea ...Seems that having relations with other countries in the world is just a cover for Russia spying on the US .At least this way it gets the people off the facts about the NSA .If I were a american I would be more worried about my own country spying on me then some foreign country .But the US public have been spooked by their over lords and are just responding the way they have been programmed to ...

Please, it's more like a "Russian abusive drunken husband".

a reply to: Rocker2013

Thats not even remotely funny....however...I'm going to guess that you are an American...cause only Americans woukld be arrogant and stupid enough to belittle Russia's military ability.

During WW2 the Germans had the finest technology and soldiers in the world...while the Russians were still dragging artillery around with horses and they handed the German's their a$$es.

Russia isn't Iraq...they will fight back....and to the bitter end if they have to. Ignore history at your peril.

originally posted by: deadcalm

Thats not even remotely funny....however...I'm going to guess that you are an American...cause only Americans woukld be arrogant and stupid enough to belittle Russia's military ability.

During WW2 the Germans had the finest technology and soldiers in the world...while the Russians were still dragging artillery around with horses and they handed the German's their a$$es.

Russia isn't Iraq...they will fight back....and to the bitter end if they have to. Ignore history at your peril.

Yeah, they sure did, in large part using the $11 billion (that's $150 billion in today's dollars) of equipment and supplies sent to the USSR by the US. Including 2000 rail locomotives and 11,000 railcars (to haul around those horses and canons you mentioned I guess) that were protected by the 18,700 aircraft, and aided by the hundreds of thousands of trucks, trailers and other motor vehicles to carry the mules too. And just what exactly does WW2 USSR have to do with modern Russia again?

Listen, no one around here with a brain is saying Russia is Iraq, of course it's military is a first-rate danger for any foe. But they ain't giants either.

Docked and patrolling off the coast are 2 separate things. What some of you may or may not realize is that CENTCOM/USSOCOM are located in Tampa. A very, very short distance from Cuba. This is where the ENTIRE Middle East is worked as well as our US Special Forces command.

It is a much better target than anything on the East Coast and would effectively have the ability to really mix things up for the US if it was pulsed. No fear mongering. Just a fact and a very good tactical idea.

Ironically at the beginning of WWII the Russians actually had the best technology in several areas.....The T-34 & KV-1 tanks in particular were a whole generation ahead of anything in the world.

They were however very badly deployed, but the shock of the early encounters still had a profound impact on the Germans (who had been allied to the Soviets prior to Barbarossa and thought they had the Red Army sussed).

Intresting how the ships deployment coincides with Russia's moves in Ukraine

Lending more weight to the this was all pre planned with there Ukraine policy

They new full well how thier actions/plan would escalate and thus had the need to reassess the US nuclear capabilities

a reply to: Montana

And just what exactly does WW2 USSR have to do with modern Russia again?

It shows that despite the huge advantage the Germans had in both the quality of troops, and quality of equipment, logistics, communication ect....the Russians had something far more important...commitment and an overwhelming will to win...something the US does not have.

The Russians also have huge manufacturing capabilities...something the US no longer has. The American population is weak, apathetic and lazy. They no longer have the stomach for an all out conflict with Russia...and if the American Gov insists on continuing to provoke them....a war is exactly what they will get.

In that scenario...it would be horrible beyond imagining. Millions of innocent people would die...and victory for the US, would be by no means assured.

a reply to: Montana

& also

a reply to: deadcalm

Please don't oversimplify.

The Germans did not have a significant technological advantage over the Soviets in 1941, it took until late 1942 or early 1943 before the Germans could even match the Soviets in armour.....But they were, on the whole, much better organised.

All, this being said, it was the breakdown of the German logistic system in 1941 that brought Operation Typhoon to a halt and thus saved Moscow.....Not the arrival of winter, or the rasputa (mud), or even hordes of Siberians and T-34s (as The History Channel mythology would have you believe).

The Soviets ability to shift their industry eastward was a huge advantage, especially given that the Luftwaffe lacked a long range heavy bomber force. However this was only made possible by the massive influx of British and later US war materials to bridge the gap while the move was underway.

The Soviets on the whole were not at all impressed with British or US armour (they called the M3 Lee "A Coffin For Six Comrades"), but they did like the Jeeps and the Deuce & A Half Trucks.....A lot!

One thing the Soviets did have in spades, was the ability to soak up horrendous casualties and then get stronger.....Post Soviet Russia has not lost this capability.

I'm not sure that the US has ever had it.

a reply to: matafuchs

The Russian Navy is now back off Florida. Russian Navy vessel Nikolay Chiker, as mentioned in your posted article, has just sent the 06 GMT Morse Code weather message back to Moscow. I can pick this up here in the UK. Nikolay Chiker has sailed from Cuba to reach its current position.

12464 Kilohertz RIW is Moscow call sign. RAL48 is Nikolay Chiker call sign. Weather stripped out to leave the position, course and speed. Morse in bold

RIW DE RAL48 07061 99276 70787 22223 @0609Z

Equates to

27.6N 78.7W Heading East at 11-15 Knots

Position off Florida - Map Link