Russia moves to bolster Arctic military presence

Arctic a priority for Harper

The North Pole itself is considered an international site and is administered by the International Seabed Authority. But if a country can prove its underwater shelf is an extension of its continental border, then it can claim an economic zone based on that.

There has been tension with Russia as the two countries wait for the UN to rule on legal claims in the resource-rich area. In that vein, a military presence is also seen as a way to stake an even higher claim in the Arctic region.

Since 1994, the Russians have staffed year-round a research base called Ice Station Borneo on the deep Arctic ice, only 60 kilometres from the pole. Their planes have sometimes approached Canadian airspace and jets have been scrambled to shadow them.

The Canadian Forces has said is has a "real, growing, and long-term presence in its Arctic region," and has been in the North since 1898.

In August, Canada held one of its largest military exercises, dubbed Operation Nanook, in the North. The month-long operation involved more than 1,000 troops.

Canada, along with Russia, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the U.S. belong to a group called the Arctic Council, which was created by the Arctic nations in 1996 and is billed as a high level intergovernmental forum.

This story is posted on Alaska Dispatch as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations.
12:39 29/09/2011ALL NEWS

Cruiser Adm Kuznetsov to leave for Mediterranean in Nov

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/236116.html

MOSCOW, September 29 (Itar-Tass) — The heavy air-capable cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov at the head of a squadron of Northern Fleet ships will set out on a long-distance voyage in November this year to accomplish combat duty missions in the Mediterranean Sea and the North-Eastern Atlantic, anofficer at the Main Naval Headquarters (MNH) of Russia told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

"The Admiral Kuznetsov will go to the Barents Sea on November 13 and moor up there to take on board an air wing -- eight jetfighters Su-33, several MiG-29K, as well as two ASW helicopters Ka-27. The air wing will be drilling the tasks of takeoff and landing onto the deck of the carrier for a week.

"On November 19, the Admiral Kuznetsov will set out on a three-month cruise to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko will be together with the cruiser among the the carrier group of ships for screening and combat support purposes," the MNH officer said.

Verification is under way of a list of foreign ports to be visited by the Russian ships, including an update in view of the developments in the Middle East and North Africa. The question of the Russian ships' participation in joint exercises together with the navies of countries in the region is being worked out as well, the MNH officer pointed out.

As of now, the Design 1143.5 cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov -- a fifth Soviet-built heavy air-capable cruiser -- is the only operational one in the Russian Navy. The cruiser made four long-distance voyages to the Mediterranean and the North Eastern Atlantic. The cruiser can carry 26 shipboard fighter planes Su-33 and MiG-29 K and 24 ASW helicopters -- eighteen Ka-27 and Ka-29, two Ka-27PS, and four Ka-31.

The cruiser's full-load displacement is 60,000 tonnes and maximum speed is 29 knots; cruising range is 8,400 miles; crew membership is over 1,900, including over 600 air pilots and technicians of the air wing.

The ship's armament includes twelve launchers of anti-ship missile Granite, four six-tube launchers of anti-aircraft missile Kinzhal (dagger), eight launchers of the anti-aircraft system Kortik (dirk), six six-tube 30-mm artillery mounts AK-630M, and two rocket-assisted bomb-throwers RBU-12000 Udav (python).

The Admiral Kuznetsov joined the Northern Fleet in January 1991. By now the cruiser has gone through at least three periods of repairs with an aggregate duration of six years.

01:48 29/09/2011ALL NEWS

RODOS (Greece), September 29 (Itar-Tass) — The first Greek-Russian investment conference “New Horizons of Economic Relations of Greece and Russia in the sphere of investment policy, commerce and tourism” is opening on Rodos Island on Thursday.

The forum’s organizers told Itar-Tass that plenary meetings would discuss problems and prospects of Russian-Greek relations at contemporary stage. Other topics will include the creation of a new economic model for bilateral partnership, investments in Greece and other countries of southern Europe, the development of regulations for mutual interaction and cooperation in the sphere of energy, tourism, immovable property and banking business.

A briefing for Russian and Greek journalists will be held on Thursday afternoon.

The first plenary meeting will take place on Friday.

Simos Kedikoglu, the head of the Greece-Russia friendship group in the Greek parliament and the chairman of the Greece-Russia friendship society, said in an interview with Itar-Tass that the Rodos conference was a vital and necessary undertaking.

“It’s important for Greece to develop cooperation with Russia in the power sector, in the exploration of natural resources, industry, shipbuilding, the introduction of new technologies and tourism,” Kedikoglu said. He personally wished that a Russian technology for solar power stations operating on photo elements could appear in Greece because that sector is going to develop actively.

The Greek MP called for developing cooperation in shipbuilding.

“Our interaction in shipbuilding has been good but I know that Greek ship owners want more contracts with Russian companies. At the moment, Greek ship owners are a major force in shipping,” Kedikoglu added.