A NATO submarine hunter captured these photos of a Russian submarine in waters recently surrounded by the alliance

• A NATO ally captured images of a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea last week.

• The submarine was spotted by a Portuguese P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

• Russia recently conducted secondary exercises, including a torpedo duel, in the Baltic Sea.

A NATO-allied anti-submarine warfare plane captured photos of a Russian submarine sailing in the Baltic Sea last week, highlighting the alliance’s ongoing efforts to track Russian activity in the undersea domain.

Surveillance photographs, which show the submarine on the surface, were taken around the same time as the Russian military conducted underwater exercises in the Baltic Seawhich involved two submarines in a torpedo duel.

NATO Maritime Command shared the photos on X and other social media platforms on Wednesday, noting that the Russian submarine was photographed by a Portuguese P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, an ASW platform manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

The P-3 Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft was used by the US Navy for decades until it was succeeded by the sophisticated P-8A Poseidon, an advanced aircraft launched in 2013 and highly regarded as one of the best maritime patrol aircraft in service. Other nations continue to use P-3s.

A P-8 Poseidon recently operated over the Norwegian Sea late last month, accompanied by a U.S. Navy nuclear ballistic missile submarine and other ships and aircraft, including an E6-B Mercury “Doomsday” plane, in what appeared to be an unusual bend amid lingering tensions with Russia .

Although it is not clear what Russian sub As documented in these photos, Russia recently conducted an underwater exercise in the Baltic Sea. Two Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines – the Novorossiysk and the Dmitrov – carried out a training duel involving torpedo firing last week, around the same time the NATO photos were taken.

After ending the duel, the Russian submarines – capable underwater assets known for being relatively silent, especially the more advanced Novorossiysk – went on to carry out other combat exercises in the Baltic Sea, Russian state media said.

The Baltic Sea, where the exercises were carried out, recorded a major geopolitical shift in recent years, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Sweden became the newest member in March 2024.

With eight of the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea now members of NATO – the only one remaining is Russia – the body of water is sometimes called “NATO lake”, although this term was criticized for covering up the strategic importance of the region for both NATO allies and Russia.

Russian submarines are active far beyond the Baltic Sea and continue to be an important element of the Russian navy. For example, the Kazan submarine was seen in Cuba recently during a visit by the Russian Navy flotilla and before exercises in the Caribbean. Kazan is part of a class of Russian submarines that have worried NATO allies for years.

Read the original article at Business Insider