NATO naval chiefs warn Alliance is unprepared for protracted war with Russia

Vice Admiral Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo, Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Groups, has signaled that the North Atlantic Alliance is currently unequipped for a sustained, long-term confrontation, contrasting NATO’s readiness with that of Russia.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Vice Admiral Escagedo emphasized that while the Alliance’s fundamental forces remain intact, maritime exercises have not been executed with the necessary rigor or frequency. He stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive reinforcement of military capacity.

“I would not say we have lost these capabilities, but I would say we have not practiced them as they should be practiced,” Escagedo stated. “We need to rebuild and increase these capabilities as soon as possible.”

According to Escagedo, the primary catalyst for this readiness gap is the strategic pivot over the last several decades toward ground operations in regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Consequently, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime defense ceased to be a priority for member states.

Resilience deficits plague the Alliance’s maritime defense line

Bloomberg’s assessment further incorporated the perspectives of Vice Admiral Mike Utley of the UK Royal Navy, who serves as Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command.

Utley noted that the armed forces of NATO member states currently lack the endurance required for a protracted theater of war.

“Do we have the resilience we would like? The developments over the last ten months have shown that we do not,” Utley remarked at the time. “However, member states are fully aware of this and are prepared to invest in developing the capabilities that will bolster our resilience.”

Resource competition in the Arctic triggers conflict risks

Captain Jim Robertsen, Commander of the Norwegian Submarine Flotilla, told Bloomberg that the intensifying interest of global powers in the Arctic is generating new potential for conflict.

The agency’s analysis highlighted that as climate change warms polar waters, competition over fossil fuels, rare earth metals, and fishing resources is expected to sharpen.

Bloomberg further detailed the tactical complexities of conducting submarine warfare in the Arctic. The mixing of icy freshwater from the north with the warm, salty currents of the Gulf Stream creates distinct thermal layers, allowing submarines to remain undetected by exploiting these acoustic barriers.

Furthermore, the ambient noise generated by shifting ice floes complicates the detection of sub-surface vessels while simultaneously posing a physical hazard to surface fleets.

Commodore Kyrre Haugen, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy, summarized the region’s strategic advantage: “If you are a nuclear submarine, this is an ideal place to hide; it is extremely difficult to be detected here.”

For its part, Moscow continues to dismiss allegations of any intent to attack European nations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Russia remains cognizant of the persistent risk of conflict with the European Union and has preemptively implemented measures to ensure its national security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has characterized claims regarding Russian plans to attack NATO as an “incredible lie,” though he underscored that Moscow would respond in kind to the continued militarization of European states.