Thursday, July 4, 2019

ALERT: Was There a U.S. and Russian Sub Incident In The Barents Sea???


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Above, Russian naval bases and facilities on the Barents Sea. 

Reader input: a dedicated reader sent me the following video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hTjnoctYb8&feature=youtu.be

Reader comment: Unfortunately, we are in a new "cold war" Most of Ronaldus Magnus' great work has been ruined by the neocons and zicons........anonymous
I want to give a special thank you to Al, Dave and Jeanette who sent me valuable information about this incident. This blog is not possible without help of contributors like them.

One possibility is that the U.S. caught the Russkies tapping into our undersea cables and listening posts and we "pushed" or attacked their midget sub. I want to emphasize that I cannot prove that. 
An incident on July 1 or 2, 2019 killed 14 Russian Navy sailors and injured more, with reports suggesting that the sailors sacrificed themselves to put the fire out. On Russian television, President Vladimir Putin revealed that seven of the deceased were captains first rank, and two were awarded the distinction “Heroes of Russia” in the past. That’s an unusually high concentration of decorated officers.

A conflicting report on Twitter claims that the fire took place not on Losharik itself but the mother sub that carried it, Podmoskovye
Podmoskovye is a modified ballistic missile submarine designed to carry smaller special mission-engineering (read: spy submarines) like Losharik to operational areas.

The Losharik (AS-12) is a deep diving special mission/engineering submarine (aka a spy submarine). According to submarine authority H.I. Sutton, Losharik entered service in 1997, displaces less than 1,000 tons (the U.S. Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarines 7,800 tons), and is about 230 feet long, 23 feet wide, and typically has a crew of 25. She is powered by a single 5-megawatt nuclear reactor.
The sub is named after a Russian cartoon horse made up of juggling balls, and the name is a play on the fact that the submarine is internally made up of up to seven interlinked high pressure orbs. Each orb is designed to provide protection from the extreme pressures of deep sea diving. Sutton believes this gives Losharik the ability to dive to depths up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). 
Losharik is designed to operate on the ocean floor, front-mounted flood lights, remotely operated arms for manipulated equipment, and retractable ski feet for sitting on the seabed. Although described as a scientific research submarine, she is assigned to the Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research, known by its Russian acronym GUGI. The submarine is considered highly classified and the only known photo appeared in the Russian magazine version of Top Gear, when it accidentally sailed into a camera shot.
GUGI reports directly to the General Staff of the Armed Forces and GUGI’s fleet of nine submarines frequently depart on “special missions”. “Little is known about the nature of those voyages,” The Barents Observer writes, “except reports of significantly increased activity along sub sea cables which carry global electronic communication.”
In addition to eavesdropping, submarines like Losharik can “bring, or remove, other small installations and devices for military purposes to be placed on the sea floor. In the Arctic, or at other locations important for the Russian navy. Such devices can be noise-makers to distract foreign submarines when Russian submarines sail out from the Kola Peninsula to the North Atlantic. Other listening devices can detect sounds made by the propellers of enemy ships. The submarine can launch and recover unmanned sub sea vehicles.” Losharik is allegedly now in Severommorsk, the headquarters of the Russian fleet. Unofficially the sub is reported to be at Gadzhiyevo.

Russian Service (RS) spoke with Dmitry Gorenburg, an associate with the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University and a researcher with the U.S.-based Center for Naval Analyses, and asked him about the Losharik incident and the state of Russia's nuclear submarine fleet.
RS: What can you tell us about the Losharik submarine and its function?
Dmitry Gorenburg: This submarine has an unusual construction with a double hull. The exterior is made of titanium, while the internal hull comprises several isolated spheres. It is not, strictly speaking, a "real" submarine because it is transported using large atomic submarines, usually the Orenburg, although the Belgorod can also serve. Because of its internal nuclear reactor, it can remain submersed for extended periods and can operate almost noiselessly. According to some sources, it is the quietest submarine in the Russian arsenal.
It is not completely clear what its uses are. Officially, they don't say that it is used for deep-sea research. U.S. military experts believe that it is designed to attach itself to undersea cables to eavesdrop on communications or to destroy them in the event of a conflict. It is apparently able to disrupt the normal functioning of the SOSUS [sound surveillance system], which is a network of hydro acoustic sensors placed in the North Atlantic between Greenland and Britain to track the movements of Russian submarines from the Norwegian and North seas into the Atlantic Ocean.
In the present case, according to Russian sources, this submarine was located in Russian territorial waters not far from Murmansk and, most likely, was engaged in studying the seafloor in order to improve the navigation practises of Russian submarines (Your Watchman, yea, sure, if you believe that I have a bridge to Hawaii I will sell you).
RS: Can you tell us anything about the incident that killed the 14 sailors?
Gorenburg: It is difficult to say anything definite. It is clear that a fire broke out on board that they managed to put out, but it was very serious and caused fatalities. We might suppose that the fire was not discovered quickly and that measures to contain it and prevent fatalities were not able to be taken. Of course, it could have been much worse – the loss of the entire crew and the vessel.
In general, fires aboard submarines are quite rare. In the 1960s, there were two or three fires aboard U.S. submarines at sea, if I remember correctly. Most such incidents occur during repair work. This is also true for Russian submarines. Overall, this is an unusual occurrence.
RS: The Russian statement said the sailors died from "poisoning by the by-products of a fire." Surely there are systems for cleaning the air on modern submarines. What do you make of this strange formulation?
Gorenburg: One problem with submarines is that they are a very restricted space. All submarines have life-support systems. There are spaces from which crew members can be evacuated in an emergency. Without knowing more about the construction of this vessel or what actually happened, it is impossible to say why people were not able to escape the fire.
RS: Does this incident tell us anything about the reliability of Russian submarines?
Gorenburg: You can't draw conclusions based on one incident, but if we look at long-term tendencies, we can see some unusual things.
For instance, over the last 20 years, there have been several incidents in the U.S. Navy involving ship collisions, both submarines and surface ships. In part, this can be explained by the scale of U.S. naval operations. But there have been almost no problems caused by the technical condition of the vessels or the breakdown of crucial systems or unreliable technology.
The Russian fleet has considerably more incidents. It isn't clear if this is because of the failure of crews to follow established procedures and instructions or because of the physical condition of the ships or defects in their construction. However, if we look at the statistics, every five or six years there is an incident involving a Russian submarine -- a fire or a breakdown requiring serious repairs. For U.S. submarines -- not counting problems caused by navigation faults -- such incidents happen once in 15 or 20 years.
RS: This submarine has a nuclear reactor on board. Is that a cause for concern?
Gorenburg: If they brought the vessel back to the base at Severomorsk and moored it there, then I'd assume that means there is no danger of radiation leaks. In general, modern nuclear reactors are designed with built-in fail-safes and they are rather reliable and capable of withstanding a very serious fire. It might have been that the fire did not start in the reactor section and that the crew was able to prevent its spread to the reactor.

Below are images of gadzhiyevo naval base
Image result for map gadzhiyevo naval base




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Above is a photo of the Podmoskovye submarine. 

New article starts below.
Reports reaching DEBKAfile’s (DF) military sources on Tuesday July 2, 2019 say that a US submarine intercepted a Russian nuclear sub in American waters opposite Alaska, now thought to be in the Atlantic Barents Sea. The Russian sub escorting the nuclear submarine responded with a Balkan 2000 torpedo and scuttled the US vessel. Urgent consultations in both the White House and the Kremlin were taking place on Tuesday night. US Vice President Mike Pence called off an appearance in New Hampshire and remained in Washington for a conference called by President Donald Trump without explanation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled an engagement and headed for the Kremlin to confer with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chiefs, after learning that 14 submariners died in a fire that broke out on a nuclear-powered “experimental submarine in Russian waters.” This account carried in Russian media varies in most respects from the DF reports and may refer to a separate incident. They report between 14 and 17 members of an AS-12 Losharik nuclear powered submarine died of poisonous fumes caused by a fire aboard the vessel. The submarine was described as experimental and unarmed but often used in spy missions. It is unclear how many of the 25 crew survived. Local media suggest four or five are receiving treatment in Severomorsk’s military hospital for poisoning and concussion injuries. Another news account said the majority of the officers died in or on their way to hospital. These reports do not cite the cause of the fire.
DF is an Israeli intelligence reporting service and can be found online.

Image result for map of the barents sea

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the fire broke out on the AS-12 Losharik while the vessel was measuring sea depths in Russia's territorial waters, and the AS-12 Losharik had since arrived at the Arctic port of Severomorsk, the main base of Russia's Northern Fleet. Severomorsk is near Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula. See the maps above and below.
14 sailors died from being poisoned by combustion products," he said.
In a televised meeting with his Defence Minister, President Vladimir Putin said two "Heroes of Russia" were among the dead, referring to the highest military award issued in the post-World War II period.
"This is not a regular vessel ... it's a scientific research vessel. It's a highly professional crew," he said.
"It is a big loss for the fleet and for [the] navy in general."
The Ministry said the fire was put out thanks to the "self-sacrifice of crew members" but did not say how many people were on board.
The blaze marks the most serious Russian naval incident since 2008, when 20 people died after a firefighting system was accidentally triggered while the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine of Russia's Pacific Fleet was undergoing trials.
In the deadliest naval incident in post-Soviet era, the Kursk nuclear submarine exploded and sank on August 12, 2000, during naval maneuvers in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crew members.
The latest incident also took place in the vicinity of the Barents Sea, but authorities in nearby Norway said they were monitoring, but had not detected, abnormally high levels of radiation.
Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, said Russian officials had told his agency that a gas explosion took place on board the submarine, though Russia denied this.
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The AS-12 Losharik was constructed and launched under a veil of secrecy, but some details of the project have been reported by Russian media.
According to an archived report in Russian newspaper Izvestia, the Losharik was launched in 2003.
It is described as the most advanced and most obscure Russian submarine and is reportedly named after a Soviet-era cartoon character — a toy horse made of small spheres.
The name is apparently explained by the unique design of its internal hull, which is made of several titanium spheres capable of withstanding high pressure at great depths.
It is reportedly powered by a nuclear reactor and was built over a 15-year period under a veil of secrecy.
None of the claims have been independently confirmed.
In 2012, the vessel was involved in research intended to prove Russia's claim on the vast Arctic seabed.
It collected samples from the depth of 2,500 meters, according to official statements at the time. Regular submarines can typically dive to depths of up to 600 meters.
Some observers have speculated that the vessel could be capable of going as deep as 6,000 meters.

Analysts have suggested one of its missions could be disrupting communication cables on the ocean bed.
The Losharik is carried under the hull of a mother submarine, the nuclear-powered Podmoskovye or BS-136 Orenburg. 

Below is a photo of special purpose submarine BS-64, project 09787 Podmoskovye.

Project 09787 Special Purpose Submarine BS 64 Podmoskovye 1

Below is a photo of the BS-136 Orenburg 
Image result for orenburg russian submarine

Although details remain sketchy, the 510 foot long Orenburg may have been adapted to multiple mother ship projects, with the Project 10831 Losharik being the largest rumored to be carried. Other smaller, but still highly capable submersibles were also said to have been used with the design. One of these is said to have been called 'White Salmon' with a dive depth of 1km, whilLosharik is said to have a dive depth of a whopping 6km.

Although the Orenburg's missile compartment and ventral section was cutout to make room for stowing fairly large submarines, the Losharik, at least the submarine pictured in the Top Gear Magazine and other shots seen in this post is said to be around 250 feet long, making it far larger than what we would traditionally call a 'midget submarine.' Its reactor is said to provide around 10,000shp making the boat rivaling fast attack nuclear submarines in speed, but its job is clearly one of espionage and surveillance due to its deep diving abilities, where it can plant listening devices, manipulate those of the enemies, tap into fiber optic cables or sit for long periods of time surveying its dark domain. This job is similarly performed for the U.S. by the USS Jimmy Carter, a highly modified variation of the deep-diving Seawolf Class design, along with smaller, remote controlled submersibles.


An alleged photo of the Lorsharik are below.
Illustration for article titled Did Top Gear Russia Really Out A Secret Submarine?
Russian news reports said that while the Losharik officially belonged to the Northern Fleet, it answered directly to the Defence Ministry's Department for Deep-Sea Research, reflecting the high sensitivity of its missions.
The Russian navy also uses Priz-class and Bester-class deep water vehicles, which have a hulls built of titanium and are capable of operating at a depth of 1,000 metres.
The small vehicles have a crew of two and are primarily intended for rescuing submariners in case of incidents.
Such vessels are transported to the area of operation by a carrier vessel and can operate autonomously for up to 120 hours.
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Above, graphics of the Losharik.

Hal Turner reported the following on Tuesday on his radio show: An American submarine operating off the coast of Alaska was REPORTEDLY torpedoed and SUNK during a firefight with a Russian submarine, after the American sub allegedly intercepted the Russian sub in American waters.
The Russian submarine allegedly sustained heavy damage in the fight, with upwards of 14 crew killed, but it made it back to its base in Russia.
I have calls into the Pentagon and to my Intel Sources seeking to confirm (or deny) this information.
No word on US casualties.
Emergency meetings have been taking place at the White House this afternoon, (Tuesday July 2, 2019) with Vice President Pence being called back to the White House and having to cancel his scheduled trip to New Hampshire.
As Pence was being called back, word broke in Russian media that Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled a public event he had long scheduled, and diverted immediately for a meeting with his Defense Minister.
At that meeting, both Putin and the Defense Minister SUMMONED the General Secretary of the Russian Armed Forces to the meeting. 
While that was taking place, the European Union headquarters in Brussels Belgium called an Emergency meeting of the EU National Security Council and, separately, the British Government called a COBRA meeting for its government.
This is a developing story.  Check back for updates. 
UPDATE 5:45 PM EDT --
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s defense chief to travel to a northern naval base to conduct a probe after a fire on a deep-sea research submersible killed 14 crew members. 
(Hal Turner Remark:   A fire huh?  Hmmmmm.  Caused by what?  A firefight with a US Submarine, perhaps?)

Putin on July 2 called the incident a “terrific loss” and told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to “personally hear reports” and direct the Investigative Committee to “definitely establish the causes behind this tragedy."
Putin’s meeting with Shoigu came after the Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that 14 sailors were killed when a fire broke out on July 1 aboard a submersible carrying out research work in Russian territorial waters.
(Hal Turner Remark:   "In Russian territorial waters???"  Why the need to say THAT?  Something's fishy already with the public statements from Russia. And US/EU/UK governments do not have "emergency meetings" over a "fire" inside a Russian submarine.   Nope.  I don't buy this one bit.  This sounds like a cover story to me.  Still digging via my intel contacts.)
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Above, a Russian poster depicting the Losharik. Below are more details about BS-64 Podmoskovye












BS-64_Podmoskovye

Tue 15 November 2016

BS-64 Podmoskovye - New Russian Special Mission spy-sub 
Flag BS-64 Подмосковье (Podmoskovye = ‘Moscow Oblast’) is a Project 09787 DELTA-IV STRETCH ballistic missile submarine which has been converted into a host submarine for nuclear powered midget-subs. She was relaunched on October 22nd and is expected to join 29th Separate Brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet at their secretive base at Olenya Guba (Deer Bay) on the Murmansk Oblast. The 29th Separate Brigade operate a range of Special Mission submarines (read ‘Spy submarines’) for GUGI (Main Directorate Deep Sea Research). Podmoskovye will be used as a Host Submarine (‘mother submarine’) for some of the midget submarines based there, most likely including the elusive Project 10831 LOSHARIK.
Source: Zvezdochka-ru.livejournal (in Russian)

Original artwork 

Artist's impression showing LOSHARIK midget sub below the hull and a SHELF nuclear reactor pod as payload.
It is likely that Podmoskovye will be involved in the laying of the ‘SHELF’ Russian arctic sensor network. See Russia seeks submarine advantage in Arctic (SHELF system, GUGI special mission subs) 
BS-64 Podmoskovye
There are several hatches along the aft casing which have yet to be explained. Source: YOUTUBE
BS-64 Podmoskovye
BS-64 Podmoskovye
Source: kuleshovoleg.livejournal (in Russian)
BS-64 Podmoskovye
Source: kuleshovoleg.livejournal (in Russian)

BS-64 Podmoskovye
Source: Zvezdochka-ru.livejournal (in Russian)
BS-64 Podmoskovye
Source: Zvezdochka-ru.livejournal (in Russian)
Conversion to Special Mission Host Submarine 
Work on BS-64 started at the Star shipyard in Severodvinsk on the White Sea in 1999 although she laid up unfinished for many years until 2012 when work resumed. The missile section, which originally held 16 x R-29RMU Sineva (SS-N-23A SKIFF) liquid-fueled missiles which each carry four independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) was cut out and replaced by a very long hull insert of similar diameter. The insert is slightly longer, adding about 7m to the overall length (174m vs 167m). Despite the ample space provided by the double-hull configuration a raised deck is still required although the ‘hump back’ of the original missile section is removed. 
BS-64 Podmoskovye
Example DELTA-IV SSBN before modification. Note the hump-back section for the missiles.
Delta submarine missile section
Missile section of a DELTA-III submarine showing the double-hull construction. The section removed from Podmoskovye was similar.
BS-64 Podmoskovye
BS-64 during conversion with missile silos already removed, 2005. Source MilitaryRussia.ru

Related Subs
Flag  Project 09852 Belgorod Special Mission submarine (spy sub)
Flag  USS Parche spy sub par-excellence

Flag SubRussian Typhoon Class SSBN
Flag Flag Flag Flag Flag + Flag Flag Flag  Nuclear Missile submarines
Flag  P.09851 KHABAROVSK and KANYON (Status-6)
Flag  SIERRA Class SSN
Flag  Russian Losharik spy sub
Flag  Project 1910 UNIFORM Class deep diving spy sub
Flag  USS Halibut
Flag  USS Seawolf (SSN-575)
Flag SubRussian X-RAY Class spy sub
Flag Sub Russian Sarov experimental sub
Flag  Stalin's Super Sub, Project P-2
Flag  Piranha Class (LOSOS) midget sub
Flag  Yantar spy ship loitering over undersea cables
Flag Russia seeks submarine advantage in Arctic (SHELF system, GUGI special mission subs)
Flag  Poseidon Intercontinental Nuclear-Powered Nuclear-Armed Autonomous Torpedo
Flag  Nerpa anti-diver UUV 

Reader Comment concerning the sub incident.  "This is not a coincidence that FOX would air this! (link below   In 2012 my daughter had a prophetic dream/vision of a Russian invasion on July 8th......J  


https://www.foxnews.com/tech/air-force-chief-details-us-response-to-russian-nuclear-attack#

It is worth noting that a few U.S. wars have started because of a sunken ship.
1. The sinking of the Battleship Maine in Cuba for the Spanish-American war.
2. Sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-Boat and we go into World War I.
3. The sinking of a whole bunch of ships at a Naval Base named Pearl Harbor and World War II starts.
4. A naval battle in the South China Sea Gulf of Tonkin starts the Viet-Nam war.
5. I guess we could also include the American Revolution due to the Boston Tea Party where Colonial Masons robbed and burned British Ships.
6. the Civil War starts with an attack on Fort Sumter which is located in Charleston Harbor was essentially a naval battle
7. I guess the War of 1812 deserves an honorable mention because the Star Spangled Banner was written during a naval bombardment of Fort McHenry.


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