What The Russian Sub In Scottish Waters Really Says About Putin's View Of The West -- Trevor Royle, Herald Scotland
A feather of disturbed water was all it took to reveal the presence of a Russian submarine off the west coast of Scotland.
Betrayed by its high-powered periscope, the vessel then disappeared, triggering a fruitless search that sent all manner of unwelcome messages to the Westminster Government.
Firstly, it is a reminder that the UK's armed forces lack a suitable maritime patrol aircraft after scrapping the Nimrod equivalent in 2011 and, secondly, the uncompromising message that Russia has the capacity to mount aggressive Cold War-style reconnaissance missions unhindered against Nato countries will have been noted in London.
The first issue was resolved by Nato allies sending their aircraft to Scotland to join the hunt. They included two US navy P-3 Orions, a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora and a Dassault Atlantique 2 of the French navy - but the problem of Russian aggression will be less easily resolved. Ever since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in 2012 he has made it his business to keep Nato on its toes by using his armed forces to further Russian interests across the world.
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My Comment: Assuming that there are Russian subs in these waters (and it is a big assumption) .... their presence is more of a sign of Europe's weakness rather than Russia's aggressiveness. Budget cutbacks, decrease in military expenditures .... the perception is that national security is no longer an important issue for most European countries .... and countries like Russia are taking advantage of what they now see is a golden opportunity to show who is "the boss".