Monday, November 16, 2020

Welcome to the Black Sea. Please Enjoy Your Stay

Romania has added to Russia's naval woes in the Black Sea.

That's helpful:

Romania has selected the Norwegian NSM (Naval Strike Missiles) for land-based launchers that will provide coast defense against Russian or Turkish attack. The 409 kg (900 pound) NSM anti-ship missile is 3.95 meters (13 feet) long, has a 125 kg (275 pound) warhead and a range of 185 kilometers. NSM uses GPS and inertial guidance systems, as well as a heat imaging sensor (and a database of likely targets) for picking out and hitting the intended ship. Romania is buying two [truck-mounted] NSM coastal batteries.

This is one more step that helps NATO deprive Russia of their illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014:

I think that Russia is more touchy about the Black Sea ever since the Russians illegally captured and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Crimea is now a staging area for Russian operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (and I think that Russia intervened in Syria to justify the price of taking Crimea).

Although my feeling is that while NATO should take advantage of geography to inflict casualties on Russian forces in case of war, the Black Sea is a potential distraction from the main Baltic Sea front threatened by Russia.

I added that the Ukrainians were adding to the arsenal. And I recommended lots of naval mines. Especially to block Sevastopol.

I suspect it could be a Black Sea Turkey Shoot for the Russian Black Sea Fleet if it sorties.