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NATO aircraft have spent most of the week searching for Russian submarines near a U.S. aircraft carrier group operating off Norway’s coast, according to flight and ship-tracking data reviewed by Newsweek.
U.S. P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes, supported by Britain and Norway, have been conducting these anti-submarine operations since Sunday in the Norwegian Sea. These flights are part of efforts to maintain security at NATO’s northern borders.
The U.S. Defense Department and NATO did not immediately respond to requests for comment on these military maneuvers.
Why It Matters
Sea patrols around NATO’s maritime borders are common, but recent U.S. Navy and British air force flights in the High North have seen an increase in intensity—over two dozen flights since the weekend.
The operations appear linked to the presence of the USS Gerald R. Ford, a large aircraft carrier involved in joint exercises with British and Norwegian units west of Norway.
The carrier group stated on Facebook that they are working together “to ensure a secure and stable Euro-Atlantic region,” but did not mention anti-submarine efforts for specific vessels.
Sweeps detectable through plane and ship broadcasts have been conducted, possibly as precautionary measures or in anticipation of Russian submarines’ appearance.
Britain’s Express newspaper reported that at least 12 specialist NATO warplanes had been searching for a Russian submarine near the U.S. Navy carrier since Sunday. The Royal Air Force sorties were not part of an exercise, according to the Ministry of Defence, which could not be contacted outside office hours.
Norway’s Barents Observer newspaper stated that three Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarines from Russia’s Northern Fleet had left their bases earlier in the week, based on satellite imagery analysis. The Severodvinsk (K-573), Kazan (K-561), and Arkhangelsk (K-564) were all out at sea as of August 25.
None of the NATO countries around the North Sea have commented on these suspected anti-submarine operations.
What People Are Saying
Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander, told Britain’s Sun newspaper: “It looks like they have found a Russian submarine and are hammering it… It is telling Russia: ‘We see you.'”
The operation by the U.S. Navy and its allies off Norway’s west coast has not ended.
Update: This story was updated on August 27, 2025, at 10:42 a.m. ET with additional information.
