OPERATION RED OCTOBER
Trump spends £63m on Scottish airbase leading hunt for Putin’s spy subs
Donald
Trump is ploughing £63 million into a Scots airbase to help US spy planes hunt Russian submarines. The US Government has revealed the investment at Lossiemouth after reporting a huge rise in Russian sub activity in the seas around Scotland. The movements of the Russian boats come amid growing tension between the West and Vladimir Putin’s regime as experts warn of a new Cold War. American cash will go towards a refurbishment of the runway at the Moray base, including more hangars and accommodation for US navy personnel, to establish Lossiemouth as a major NATO base. Work has already started on an expansion to Lossiemouth to accommodate nine of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon submarine hunters ordered by the RAF. Norway has bought the same US-built planes and all three nations will use Lossiemouth as a base for keeping track of Russian activity in the Atlantic and North Sea. The investment marks a turnaround in fortunes for Lossiemouth, which was threatened with closure less than eight years ago. Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of the UK’s aircraft carrier fleet, warned Russian subs have been their most active in the North Atlantic since the Cold War. Earlier this month the Defence Select Committee concluded Britain’s Arctic capability to meet a challenge posed by President Putin was “on thin ice”. There have been increased reports, the committee found, of Russian subs trying to record the sounds of subs carrying Trident missiles as they leave Faslane. Russia analysts say the increased sub activity fits a pattern of military assertiveness by the Kremlin, seen with interventions in Georgia and Syria, and the increased investment in defence under Putin. The incursions also serve as a sabrerattling sign of Kremlin displeasure at political developments, experts claim. Tim Ripley, defence analyst and author, said: “This means you will regularly see UK, US and Norwegian P-8 aircraft flying in and out of Lossiemouth, which is establishing itself as the European base for maritime aircraft patrols of the North Atlantic. “The threat from Russia could not be any clearer now and this is part of the reaction.
– Defence analyst Tim Ripley, The threat from Russia could not be clearer and this is the reaction