Washington Free Beacon – by Bill Gertz –
Ships near nuclear submarine base at Kings Bay, Ga.
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.
An official said it is possible that the electronic spying is related to watching U.S. nuclear missile submarines as part of a Russian nuclear exercise.
According to Russian military press reports, some 10,000 Russian troops and 1,000 pieces of military equipment of the Strategic Missile Forces took part in an exercise April 17 to 19—coinciding with the transit of one of the ships, the Chiker, to Cuba from the coast off northern Florida on April 19.
“The exercises will test the cohesiveness and skills of units and commands in the process of alerting and the achievement of training objectives under various circumstances and in any time of the day,” Russian defense spokesman told Interfax.
The Chiker also is known to support submarines and is equipped with lift capability for servicing Russian submarines.
U.S. officials said in 2012 a Russian Akula attack submarine was detected operating near the East Coast. The Navy denied the sub sailed undetected in the Gulf of Mexico.
Crosson declined to comment further on the Russian naval activities. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to talk about the operations of non-U.S. vessels operating beyond U.S. territorial seas,” he said.
According to military enthusiast websites, the Leonov is a Vishnya-class medium intelligence ship home ported in Severomorsk and is part of the Kola Peninsula naval forces.
The ship was commissioned in 1988.
The ships are designed for signals and communications intelligence gathering through an array of ship-borne sensors. It also is equipped with two 30-millimeter guns and anti-aircraft missiles.
Wire services reports indicated the Leonov docked in Havana in February and March, and again this month.
As one person said, it’s been going on forever, but we never have a President that kisses their behind and never does anything he should. He will end up being labeled the worst President in our history. Now fellow Americans are you going to vote for this worthless person, the next go-around, if he manages to change our Constitution??? Think about it!!
Anybody who thinks our own government, especially under Comrade Obama’s dictatorship, aren’t listening to every negative comment being made today IN THIS COUNTRY, doesn’t know how “big brother” has the capability and the desire to do just that … hasn’t been paying any attention to what Snowdon has been squealing about! Obama and the NSA are watching all of us, very closely.
Everybody knows that Obama thinks all Republicans are really domestic terrorists !!!
How many here do not know that Obama was raised by Marxist parents? Both his mother and father were devout Marxist and his father got a well know Marxist to mentor him in his young years! How many think that there is no Communism left? Oh oh, China; Russia; North Korea; Vietnam; Cuba… We also note South America as having Marxist governments. We have a president that has appointed Muslim Brotherhood members as well as devout Marxists and this is why he refuses to obey his oath of office! Our Liberal media is more treasonous than any of our elected officials!
Let hope there here to pick up BIG O and take him home .
i think about the days when, if the russians came this close to the US, they would end up on the ocean floor.
This is not news. It’s been happening for decades and we do the same to the Russians. What IS news is Obama’s disgraceful attempts at statesmanship with the Russians. I believe Putin said that negotiating with Obama is like playing chess with a pigeon….he knocks over all the pieces, shits on the chess board, then struts around as if he had won. Sounds like an accurate description to me.
LOL Mike and agree. Obama’s secret to success in politics is pick the popular politics of the day, squat on a spot and hope that spot is the right place that lines up with the right time and voila! el president !! As a president advancing America’s interests, Obama is a great community organizer . . .
Return to cold war footing by the Russians. Romney was more correct than he knew. Is Obama still being more flexible now that he has a second term?
Just keeping them in clear radio range so Osama’s minions, on his orders, can clearly radio/wifi the neccessary info to them……..
Notice that Russia does not station its intelligence-gathering ships off the shore of Washington, D.C. That is because there is no intelligence in Washington. ;)
They don’t have to post intelligence gathering ships off Washington, DC. That info source is well entrenched within the walls of our government.
Anyone who doubts this also believes Santa delivers presents down the chimmney on Christmas and the Easter Bunny poops chocolate eggs.
A Real POTUS would Never have permitted this!
But obama does Not even behave like a Real American!! ;-(
He isn’t,and never was
Use the liberal agenda.Fill the air with disinformation and tiny but subverted facts.Once,totally undermined no one will miss them and we can sanction them with extreme prejudice.
During the 60’s, multiple Soviet surveillance ships were stationed of the coast of Charleston, SC. Their main purpose was to gather sound data on each FBM and Fast Attack submarine. They were an incredible nuisance to our navigation plans and always seeking a collision for propaganda purposes. The US Navy employed listening sensors on the floor of the worlds oceans during the Cold War for the purpose of listening to all ship and submarine movement 24/7. Looks as if we’ve returned to the Cold War era once again.
The system you describe is called SOSUS.
During the 60’s, similar surveillance ships were always off the coast of Charleston, SC., gathering specific sound data on each FBM and Fast Attack submarine stationed there. They were more of a nuisance with our navigation and looking for propaganda involving a US nuclear sub collision. During the Cold War, we employed listening sensors throughout the world, providing us with the capability to detect all vessel and submarine movement 24/7. Looks as if we’re reliving this issue once again.
Not only off the coast of Charleston, but we encountered them frequently around our advanced bases in Rota, Spain and on the entrance/exit to the river Clyde for our Holy Loch, Scotland base. They were made to look like trawlers. As noted by Frank, navigational issues were the major concern. We always enjoyed watching them turn tail and run when the Spanish frigates showed up or the RAF did a buzzing. Maybe the “Cold War” is heating up again.
AGREE WITH WALT C. KEEP LETTING THE WEAKKNEED CONGRESS DISENBOUL THE MILITARY IN FAVOR OF MORE FOODSTAMPS AND FORGEIN AID TO COUNTRYS THAT HATE AND DISRESPECT THE US. SOON THESE SPY SHIPS AND SUBMARINES WILL BE INSIDE OUR PORTS.
And we have naval vessels exercising in the Black Sea … just off the coast of Russia.
I’ll second your sentiment. This is outrageous. We don’t have navy and spy ships in the Black Sea…..my bad! We DO have our navy in the Black Sea. We are sponsoring bad-guy revolts…Nazi sympathizers in Kiev, Al Qaida in Syria, arms to terrorists in Libya, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. etc. And let’s say Russia puts military in Cuba? We now have military in Lithuania and other nearby countries that Russia has not threatened.
Our generation has seen over 50 years of US military global over-reach, friends and loved ones being lost to US elitist/power broker manipulations. Why don’t we worry about our border with Mexico and emulate Russia which is protecting its border with Ukraine? But worrying about Russia having spy ships near our shores? Gosh, maybe they could figure out why our worst enemy lately has been the people we elect to DC.
“…..Russia which is protecting its border with Ukraine.” This is one of the most ignorant statements I have ever read. Let that sink in….
is everyone who disagrees with you “ignorant”? What business do we have in Ukraine, unless you think it is our business to destabilize governments through manipulated protests, bring in leaders of our choosing, and then in the instability and incompetence let civilizations self-destruct and chaos reign? Why wouldn’t Russia want to try to get a government friendly to them on their border? If they weren’t there, what would there be to stop the thugs from western Ukraine from crossing over the border or taking all rights away from those in eastern Ukraine who identify with Russia?
Name-calling usually indicates a lack of ability to discuss ones view intelligently or being so insecure that one cannot handle their view being challenged. Do you have any such issues?
Why is this allowed?
I’m confident that we’re aware of the nature of the intelligence, and I use the term loosely, being gathered and are employing counter measures and disinformation as is necessary, this is nothing new.
As long as Obama has made the USA the laughing stock of the world today, it is expected that this only increase. Our military is as hog tied as our border agents under this do nothing Obama office. Vote out all incumbents as there is not much difference in the Parties. They are out for themselves not, and I repeat NOT for the legal citizens. Putin would be a better President than Obama has shown to be. Not to many Illegal Mexicans flooding into Russia are there ?
I certainly would not “vote out all incumbents” as is suggested. Certainly not Ted Cruz or most of the fine conservatives we have from Texas, but I have no problem voting out John Cornyn (our RINO Republican Senator). I also would want to keep people like Senator Mike Lee, a staunch conservative. Why don’t we just “vote out” the Harry Reid’s, Nancy Pelosis, Barbara Boxers, etc with a “D” behind their name and the few spineless Republicans, including Speaker Boehner and minority leader McConnel?
YES! Thank you, Captain Mike. Choosing SPECIFIC representatives to remove from office is a MUCH more responsible voter action. It demonstrates an effort to actually use our intelligence, including the ability to differentiate good representatives from poor quality ones. INFORMED voters can make a difference. Hopefully there are enough informed voters, and voters who will BECOME informed, to outweigh the “socialist acceptance” from the elite voters and the “rah rah, lack of discriminating thought” from the low-information voters.
I hope more voters will factually arm themselves and get out to vote this year and in 2016. Sitting on your hands, pouting like a spoiled toddler because “the person” YOU wanted wasn’t chosen, is part of the reason that got us where we are today. It is part of the reason our country is being sold down the river into Socialism and its consequent dependency. So leave toddler-hood behind, grow up, and take responsibility by casting YOUR informed vote! THAT is how we take back our country.
We don’t need any more “progressives” in office, regardless of which Party they inhabit. We need to go into the 2016 Presidential election to change the playbook and return to the “can do” America most of us knew. We cannot afford another “progressive” in that office
Very well said Elie. We have to actually think and act rationally when it comes to selecting and backing candidates for November and beyond. We cannot afford to simply opt for the reflexive, but ultimately completely ineffective and disastrous “feel good’ notion” of ” lets throw them all out”.
Exactly right Capt Mike.
I am in complete agreement with you PaulE concerning comments of Capt. Mike and Elie, even though we are not sticking with the subject matter of the artical.
And there is one aspect of this weeks arts that hasn’t been covered so far by anyone that I am aware of; that is that the establishment insiders of both major national parties are invested so heavily in selecting who gets into the primaries and run-offs, so that the people often have little choice in selecting either progressive heavy or progressive light. Note: mccain, Romney, maybe a Jeb Bush or a Christie, and demo’s H. Clinton, Obama…know what I mean? It even seems that the demo’s will not be despirate enough to put a Biden on their next list of nominees, but they have been dumb enough to get him as V.P. Maybe as a hedge against an impeachment inquiry on Obama.
All that plays H with the benefits of an electorial college to say nothing of the states’ legislatures decisions as to gets chosen delegates, the winner takes all of some states and the proportional delegation from others. Oh well….can’t solve all the ills in one sitting. Butts do get tired.
Capt Mike: Two thumbs up.
The US should drop underwater sensors throughout the world so that we know the exact location and through imagery identify each object….
This is news? All through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Russian AGIs had semi permanent parking spots off the coast of the US. the only reason those ops were scaled back, was due to the collapse of the USSR. Now that they are stronger the ops have resumed.
Maybe it’s there to provide “Comrade” Obama an escape option?
LOL! Good one Rik. However, I doubt Putin has any use for Obama either.
Seems to me the Poot has been using the Dupe quite well. Not only does he continually call his bluff, he goes one better by out bluffing him. You watch. we’ll end all that Ukranian turmoil by sending them SSS’s to assist what is left of them after Putin gets his part secured. Those dollars can then be used to buy Russian natural gas and oil for what’s left of the Ukes.
Yes, Putin has sized up Obama quite well and appears to know exactly how to play him. On the other hand, Obama is completely out of his depth with regards to Putin and the Ukraine. The same can unfortunately be said for Obama’s dealings with Iran, Syria, North Korea, Egypt and every other country and foreign leader Obama has tried to “deal with”. The international community, both our allies and our enemies know exactly what to expect from Obama’s foreign policy strategy of appeasement and apologies. They are all acting accordingly.
Right on.