Russia has sent about 10 submarines into the North Atlantic in the largest such operation since the end of the Cold War, the Norwegian military said on Tuesday.
Since last week, the Russian submarines -- based on the Kola Peninsula in Russia's far north -- have been dispatched for manoeuvres in the Atlantic Ocean, according to information from the Norwegian Intelligence Service, first reported by broadcaster NRK and later confirmed to AFP.
"There's a lot of activity in the North Atlantic at the moment and Norway together with other Nato states are monitoring with air and surface capabilities," Brynjar Stordal, a spokesman for the Norwegian armed forces, told AFP.
This is the largest operation of its kind conducted by Russia "since the end of the Cold War by the number of assets operating at the same time," he added.
According to sources cited by NRK, the Russian submarines, which all left their base in submerged mode, are seeking to reach as far into the Atlantic as possible -- ideally waters west of Greenland -- without being detected.
The operation is planned to last about two months with the suspected goal "to show that they are able to threaten the east coast of the United States."
"Of course they're showing their capabilities both in numbers and as to what they can deploy at the same time," Stordal said.
On Saturday, Russian news agencies reported two nuclear submarines, the Nizhny Novgorod and Pskov, were preparing for "deep dives to test certain equipment and weapons" in the neutral waters of the Norwegian Sea.
"During these dives, which will last a week, their crews will practice tactical procedures and different techniques for deep manoeuvres," according to a statement from the Russian North Fleet, quoted by the agencies.
The Norwegian Sea has depths of several thousand meters, unlike the Barents Sea outside the Russian port of Murmansk which only has an average depth of about 200 metres.
According to Russian media the two submarines are so called Kondor-class -- or Sierra-class -- multi-purpose subs, which are equipped to launch cruise missiles and designed to detect and destroy enemy air and sea targets.
Russia fired a ballistic missile from its new submarine for the first time and hit a target thousands of miles away, Moscow has revealed.
In a show of strength, Russia's defence ministry released footage of the Bulava missile being launched from the nuclear-powered submarine Prince Vladimir.
The 'successful' test launch from the northern White Sea hit a target 3,500 miles away in Kamchatka on the country's Pacific coast, the Russian military said.
The state-of-the-art submarine is expected to enter active service in December.
The Knyaz Vladimir is the first upgraded 955A model to be produced in the Borei class of Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
It will enter service with Russia's Northern Fleet at the end of this year once it has completed trials including weapons tests, the fleet's commander said.
The Bulava - or Mace - is seen as a cornerstone of the Russian military triad comprising sea, land and air launched weapons.
The launch was carried out with a dummy payload and reached a test site in the far east of Russia.
As many as eight Russian nuclear-powered submarines sailed from their Kola Peninsula bases ahead of the test launch, reported Norwegian media.
On top of that, flight tests on Russia's new Sarmat ballistic missile are expected to begin early next year, according to Russian media.
The hypersonic missile, also known as Satan-2, is due to be deployed in 2021 after Vladimir Putin hailed progress on its development.
Moscow says Satan-2 can evade the United States' defence shield and is capable of destroying an area the size of England and Wales - or Texas.
The weapon is seen as a crucial part of Russia's ongoing push to modernise its nuclear arsenal.
The initial stage of testing is said to involve two missile launches with a 'mass-scale mock-up of the warhead' from an underground installation at the Plesetsk cosmodrome 650 miles north of Moscow.
The 'target' will be at the Kura training ground in Kamchatka on Russia's Pacific coast, newspaper Vedomosti reported.
Following these, tests could be conducted from a location in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk where the 62nd Strategic Missile Forces missile division is deployed.
It is believed to be the first time since the Soviet era that advanced missile tests have been conducted from this site.
The test launch comes amid growing fears of a new arms race between Moscow and Washington.
Putin has frequently boasted about Moscow's hypersonic missiles, saying after a test last year that they were 'impossible to intercept'.
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