Russia's Northern Fleet beefs up its nuclear capabilities to phase 'NATO out of Arctic'

pulse

June 1, 2017 7:21 PM

Over the last decade, there has been a land grab in the Arctic, where global warming is melting polar ice and revealing an abundance of natural resources.

Russia's nuclear submarine Oryol joins the Northern Fleet on April 11, 2017.

Russia announced Thursday that it has beefed up its Northern Fleet's nuclear capacity to phase "NATO out of [the] Arctic," according to the state-owned media outlet Sputnik.

The Northern Fleet "

Russia also said that another Northern Fleet ship, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will be upgraded with advanced electronics, radars and onboard navigation gear. The fleet's flagship,

“The Pyotr Veliky, just like the Admiral Nakhimov, will get multipurpose launchers capable of firing cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles,"

The Northern Fleet’s ground forces are also getting "Bal and Bastion anti-ship missiles, S-400 missile complexes and advanced means of electronic and hydro-acoustic reconnaissance."

Russia also plans to build a number of military airfields in the region to provide its Northern Fleet ships with aerial support in the event of an armed conflict.

Russia's Northern Fleet is "key to ensuring the country’s national security and economic interests," Sputnik said, as Moscow and the west continue to compete for access to the Arctic's natural resources.

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