A tragic fire aboard a secret Russian nuclear “mini-sub” in the Barents Sea that killed 14 senior sailors has refocused media attention on a little-noticed flash-point of the world: the Arctic. That an important Russian system was being tested or demonstrated was suggested by reports “that among the 14 dead were 7 senior navy captains and 2 ‘Heroes of Russia.'” The presence of so many Russian navy worthies raises questions because brass do not typically twiddle dials on mini-submarines, but watch them being twiddled until something goes horribly wrong.
One may speculate endlessly on the true nature of the Russian experiment. But although we may never know the disaster’s cause, it is evidently so important that the Kremlin is pushing on. The damaged secret submarine Losharik will be returned to service ASAP to continue whatever it was doing.
According to the defense minister, the special purpose submarine can be fully restored and taken back in service. …Our first assessment shows that repair is possible, [and] in our case it is not only possible, it it absolutely required,” the defense minister underlined. (Emphasis mine)
Whatever’s going on in the Arctic darkness is important to the Kremlin. The Barents Observer, a Norwegian based online newspaper portrayed it as the Grand Central Station — if that term can be used — of Russia’s undersea nuke community.
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