Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. Its making NATO nervous.

[JayhawkSD]

3. During the cold war we tapped Russian underwater telephone cables.

Using submarines, we tapped underwater telephone cables in Russian territorial waters for some years. These were diesel submarines operating in pairs, so that if one submarine was detected while they had divers out the other submarine could deliberately make noise and draw the Russians off. Hopefully without getting sunk in the process.

But of course we are going to be outraged if their submarines show signs of any interest in our underwater cables.

We used to argue whether these missions, off the north coast of Russia, were better in summer when the weather was slightly better and the water temp was a couple degrees above freezing but we were subjected to 24 hours of daylight, or in winter when the weather made hurricaines look like breezes and the water temp was several degrees below freezing but we had darkness to hide in for 24 hours per day. (Diesel subs spend more time on the surface than they do submerged.)

One boat was lost on such a mission, but her crew was taken off before she went down. I wasn't along on that trip.