US Senator: Russia Threatens America in Air and at Sea

20.08.2012 Texas Senator John Cornyn requested Pentagon to give explanations regarding recent press reports about a Russian submarine allegedly deployed off the US coast for several weeks, reports Lenta.ru referring to the Texas on the Potomac blog of the Houston Chronicle. Cornyn sent a letter with such request to US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert.

In his letter to the US Navy's top officer, Senator Cornyn pointed out that the patrol of the Russian submarine in the Gulf of Mexico was in line with intrusion of Russian strategic bombers into American restricted airspace, reports Rambler-Novosti. If the press reports are truth, "the repercussions are serious", warns the politician. As for Cornyn, Akula-class submarine can be armed with an array of weapons, including torpedoes and cruise missiles capable of destroying both US nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.

"The submarine patrol, taken together with the air incursions, seems to represent a more aggressive and destabilizing Russian military stance that could pose risks to our national security. This is especially troubling given the drastic defense cuts sought by President Obama, which include reductions in funding for antisubmarine defense systems", wrote Cornyn.

In this regard, Cornyn requests from the US Navy's chief "a detailed explanation" of the facts related to publications about the Russian submarine.

The article about the Russian sub patrolling nearby the US coast emerged in American conservative media outlet The Washington Free Beacon on Aug 14. According to the original report referring to undisclosed source, a Project 971 Schuka-B Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine (known in NATO as Akula-class) in June and July was on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico near the US territorial waters.

Soon after the article, the Pentagon's spokesman Wendy Snyder denied that information. Another representative of American military John Fage told Houston Chronicle there had been no Russian subs nearby the US. "We are aware of the reporting but we see nothing to indicate that it is true", he said.

Russia's reaction on the American media reports was restrained as well. According to Russian defense ministry, western media is increasingly reporting about Russian submarines because Russian Navy had resumed its patrols and deployments. The military spokesman declared that all actions of Russian submarine force as well as patrol routes was confidential information.