Russia's recent deployment of warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, near the coast of Florida has raised concerns among intelligence experts. Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA analyst, assesses the threat posed by Russia's advanced weapons and strategy, warning that Putin is preparing for a full-blown war with the United States.
Three weeks ago, a Russian flotilla of warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, operated less than 30 miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. While the Pentagon dismissed the incident as posing "no threat," former senior intelligence analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Rebekah Koffler believes it is a grave threat to the U.S. homeland.
The Russian naval action group, consisting of the missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Kazan, the oil tanker Pashin, and the salvage tug Nikolai Chiker, was carrying out "combat service" tasks, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Putin's Anti-US Axis: A Grave Threat to the American Homeland
The Kazan, a Yasen-M-class guided missile submarine, carried guided missiles with a range of 1,000 nautical miles. Admiral Gorshkov is capable of executing long-range strikes and conducting anti-submarine warfare. These naval assets, which field a variety of anti-ship and land attack weapons, were testing anti-ship missiles virtually in the Atlantic against targets at a range of more than 350 miles.
Koffler highlights the Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, a new generation weapon developed on Putin's orders, as a particularly concerning threat. With a range of 1,000 km (625 miles) and traveling at nine times the speed of sound, the Zircon is designed to overcome U.S. missile defenses. Its hypersonic speed and low altitude flight make it extremely difficult to detect and intercept.
Putin's Anti-US Axis: A Grave Threat to the American Homeland
Another aspect of the threat is Russia's possession of the world's quietest submarines, which are often undetected by U.S. systems. In 2012, a Russian Akula-class submarine operated close to U.S. shores in the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks, exposing vulnerabilities in U.S. anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Anti-submarine warfare is an integral part of Russia's war-fighting strategy, which seeks to deter the U.S. from intervening in conflicts like Ukraine. By destroying submarine undersea cables, which carry global internet traffic, Russia could disrupt digital communications and cripple essential services such as banking, transportation, and healthcare.
Putin's Anti-US Axis: A Grave Threat to the American Homeland
In 2022, Russia crippled one of two fiber optic cables linking Norway and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Russian submarines were also active near cables linking the U.S. and Europe at the time.
Koffler notes that while Russia currently lacks the intent to target the U.S. homeland with strategic assets like Zircon, the Kremlin views the proxy war in Ukraine as a threat to its security and could escalate to a full-blown war with the U.S.
Putin's Anti-US Axis: A Grave Threat to the American Homeland
Moscow's assessment of an inevitable war with the U.S. has led it to develop the "hold U.S. homeland at risk" doctrine, simulating strikes on U.S. targets with naval and long-range aviation assets.
The Biden administration's lack of direct engagement with Russia, influenced by antipathy towards Putin, and the Pentagon's failure to develop countermeasures to Russia's advanced weapons, have contributed to the escalation of tensions.
Putin's Anti-US Axis: A Grave Threat to the American Homeland
As a result, Putin now possesses strategic capabilities that have significantly reduced the options available to a U.S. president in a time of crisis. Koffler attributes this situation to professional malpractice by the Pentagon and the White House, emphasizing the importance of electing competent decision-makers to protect America's security.
