Russia is expanding its military presence in Arctic with increased air patrols and naval presence, including submarines
In August 2007, shortly after sending the scien- tific expedition to the Arctic ridge, then Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the resumption of regular air patrols over the Arctic Ocean. Strate- gic bombers including the turboprop Tu-95 (Bear), supersonic Tu-160 (Blackjack), and Tu-22M3 (Backfire) and the long-range anti-submarine war- fare patrol aircraft Tu-142 have flown patrols since then.43 According to the Russian Air Force, the Tu- 95 bombers refueled in-flight to extend their operational patrol area.44 Patrolling Russian bombers penetrated the 12-mile air defense identification zone surrounding Alaska 18 times during 2007.45 Since August 2007, the Russian Air Force has flown more than 90 missions over the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans.46
The Russian Navy is also expanding its presence in the Arctic for the first time since the end of the Cold War.47 Lieutenant General Vladimir Sha- manov, head of the Defense Ministry’s combat train- ing department, said that the Russian Navy is increasing the operational radius of the Northern Fleet’s submarines and that Russia’s military strategy might be reoriented to meet threats to the country’s interests in the Arctic, particularly with regard to its continental shelf. Shamanov said that “we have a number of highly-professional military units in the Leningrad, Siberian and Far Eastern military districts, which are specifically trained for combat in Arctic regions.”48
On July 14, 2008, the Russian Navy announced that its fleet has “resumed a warship presence in the Arctic.” These Arctic naval patrols include the area of the Spitsbergen archipelago that belongs to Norway, a NATO member. Russia refuses to recognize Norway’s right to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around Spitsbergen. Russia deployed an anti-subma- rine warfare destroyer followed by a guided-missile cruiser armed with 16 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles designed to destroy aircraft carriers.49