US, Germany, Norway conclude anti-submarine warfare drill in Norwegian Sea

Ships and submarines from the navies of Germany, Norway and the United States completed some 20 days of anti-submarine warfare drills in the Norwegian Sea.

Dubbed Eastlant 2017, the Norwegian-hosted exercise started on May 8 and concluded on May 26.

Not much has been said about the exercise, and the U.S. Navy only announced the exercise once it concluded.

The exercise was briefly referred to by the German Navy in April this year who said that two Type 212A boats would be taking part in the drill. The Barents Observer contacted the Royal Norwegian Navy chief public affairs officer who confirmed the exercise without providing additional details.

The exercise could be seen as a reaction to an increased presence of Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea whose activity now exceeds Cold War levels, according to NATO officials.

U.S. Navy units taking part in the exercise included Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf, the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Helena and one P-8A Poseidon aircraft. In addition to submarines from the German and Norwegian navies, the exercise was joined by the German Navy-operated research ship ‘Planet’.