European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday february 25, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 15 Arctic patrol still priority for Navy by John h. Cushman the new York times Washington a americans May no longer consider Russia an enemy but the . Navy remains reluctant to pull Back from the Arctic Waters that have Long been a Home to the former soviet Northern Fleet. On feb. 11, in a reminder of How closely the Navy still patrols the russian coastline an american nuclear powered submarine and a russian one collided in the Barents sea Little More than a dozen Miles from the russian naval bases on the Kola Peninsula. And next month in Maneu vers planned More than a year before the collapse of the soviet Union scores of nato ships will exercise in the norwegian sea. The operations Are echoes of a time when the soviet Navy roamed the world and the americans planned How to bottle it up in the event of War. But the Northern Fleet technically controlled at present by the new Commonwealth of Independent states now rarely leaves the frigid Waters near Home. A the key Issue for the Cis Navy this Winter has been simply to survive and to sustain the ability to operate in the face of political economic and social chaos a rear adm. Edward d. Sheafer ., director of naval intelligence recently told lawmakers. He mentioned for example that the Northern Fleet says it retired 25 submarines and 18 surface ships last year Selling Many of them for scrap. Why then should the . Navy bother to operate so assertively in the Northern fleets Waters one reason naval analysts and intelligence officials said is to better understand just How crippled the former soviet Navy has become. Another is that Russia still controls the second most powerful Navy in the world one that is modernizing even As it shrinks and the Only one outside nato with an effective stockpile of nuclear missiles. A third reason is that naval affairs in the former soviet Union Are caught up in political turbulence As Ukraine seeks control Over some of the Black sea Fleet and Lithuania is demanding the withdrawal of russians Baltic Fleet from Kaliningrad. The political factors can Cut both ways perhaps arguing for discretion according to some analysts. If the United states appears too aggressive it could further anger disgruntled military leaders in the former soviet Union. Clearly the Mere presence of an undetected american nuclear powered attack submarine in Waters so close to Russia stung the former soviet military leadership. On thursday Yevgeny Shaposhnikov commander of the former soviet forces told the russian parliament a this area was spelled out by us As our training ground and the american Side knows about this that this is a training ground. Foreign ships have no business the . Navy has said that its submarine a torpedo armed vessel of the los Angeles class was in International Waters More than 12 Miles from russian shores. Asked by members of a congressional committee thursday Why it was necessary to operate so close to the russian Shore adm. David e. Jeremiah vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said a we Are always interested in what is going on with the other Side. Submarine forces have done that for Norman Polmar an analyst of naval affairs of the former soviet Union explained a it is very difficult to find out where their submarines Are and How Many Are out there from other sources. The defense department feels it is prudent to keep up some degree of surveillance. But is it As much As we used to do i doubt in the Accident feb. 11, american officials said the Navy sub was tracking a Sierra class submarine of the former soviet Navy As it left russian Waters. Evidently not knowing where the american warship was the russian vessel surfaced directly underneath it striking it and slightly damaging both vessels. Other Pentagon officials listed a number of specific activities in the Region that Are of primary interest to naval intelligence a on wednesday the former soviet Navy test fired a ballistic missile from a submarine in the area. A in december the Only Large deck aircraft Carrier built by the former soviet Union sailed from the Black sea to join the Northern Fleet off the Kola Peninsula. A at the nearby shipyards of sever Dvinsk an Oscar submarine and an Akula attack submarine Are under construction a typhoon class sub is being modified to accept More accurate ballistic missiles and a nearly finished Delta sub which also carries ballistic missiles May or May not be completed after work apparently was halted last year. The big exercise scheduled by nato next month which will include an amphibious assault in Northern Norway resembles those once intended to demonstrate the ability to attack the former soviet Northern Fleet in its Home Waters. But the Navy said this years exercise will be 20 percent smaller than originally planned will not be repeated for three years and is a not directed at any specific and the Navy a ranking submarine commander vice adm. Roger f. Bacon has just released a study of future . Submarine roles that is based on the Assumption that the military successors to the soviet Union a will pose no significant threat in the notably Bacons study said that in times of peace one of the most important missions for the Navy a submarines is surveillance a task for which they Are ideally suited. And for the time being the study stated special attention should be Jaid to developments in the new russian piecing together teen s Hail mary7 death Young members of the sen cadets leave St. Paul s roman Catholic Church in Clifton ., on thursday after the Mineral of fellow Cadet Robert Solimine or. Clifton . A Robert Solimine or. Sat with two friends in his parked car reciting the a Hail when he reached a Spray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death a he was strangled from behind police said. Solimine was 17. So is his accused killer. They Hung out with four other youths Ages 14 to 18, who also were charged with murder in the feb. 16 slaying in Clifton a Middle class suburb of new York City. Authorities were withholding the identities of All but the alleged Mastermind 18-year-old Frank Castaldo an unemployed High school dropout. The others were charged As juveniles. In searching for a motive police Are looking into reports that Solimine was a Snitch tattling on Castaldo for providing liquor to youngsters and for telling parents their youngsters were drinking. The killing with an electrical Cord wrapped around Solimine a neck also has investigators pointing to mafia style overtones. Castaldo claimed to have mob ties and tried to impress his friends with promises they could get into the mafia investigators Saia. A maybe they viewed this As their own Little mob a said police capt. James Terri to. The 17-year-old accused of killing Solimine has been an altar boy Lector and catechism teacher at St. Clare roman Catholic Church. The two met three years ago at the Delong division of the sea cadets a paramilitary youth group sponsored by the Navy and run by former Navy officers. They were a the pick of the lot a said it. Cmdr. Joseph t. Hamlisch the divisions founder. A they were like Bobbey twins they were such Good Solimine continued to spend a lot of time with the group even after moving last year from his mothers Clifton Home to his fathers Home in North Halcyon a few Miles away. Yet his friends said they met weekly starting in november to scheme against him authorities said. Bible passages were recited. At one meeting St. Joseph medals were handed out to signify their Bond. They planned to slash solid inc a tires or beat him up but the plot quickly evolved into deadlier intrigues investigators said. In january the five tried to blow up his car by stuffing an aerosol can in the gasoline tank said county prosecutor Ronald fava. Hours before his death they tried to handcuff Solimine to his steering wheel so they could Torch his car while he was chained inside investigators said. Solimine was parked in his car in a Clifton school parking lot. He was reciting the a Hail Mary with Castaldo a 14-Ycar-old Cousin who sat in the front passengers seat. The accused Strangler was seated in Back. In a car ahead two of the accused another 17-year-old and another 14-year-old, served As lookouts police said. When Solimine got to the end of the prayer the killer struck from behind police said. Castaldo was waiting at Home for a report fava said. Authorities described Solimine a accused killer As a remorseful and emotionless. Violent teen agers tend to escalate slights into crises said or. Lawrence Dimi Lio head of adolescent psychiatry at Carrier foundation in Belle Mead. They Are fairly insecure and tend to identify with others he said. A was a group and As individuals they tend to idol nation to fill in gaps in identity a i Milio said. A which athlete am i like which movie Star hopefully its baseball player Dwight Gaoaen not Rock Star Ozzy Osbourne or the
