Russian nuclear-powered ballistic-missile sub Dmitry Donskoy sails under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark on its way to Saint Petersburg, July 21, 2017. Scanpix Denmark/Sarah Christine Noergaard via Reuters
Business Insider: Russia has 'stepped on the gas' with its submarine fleet — and NATO is on alert
* Russian and NATO navies have come into increasingly close contact around Europe in recent years.
* A particular concern for NATO is Moscow's submarines.
* Western navies still have an edge under the sea, but Russia's progress has them worried.
A British Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine was reportedly closely pursued by Russian warships and subs in the eastern Mediterranean during the first days of April.
That "cat-and-mouse" encounter between one of the UK's most advanced submarines and a Russian force that included Improved Kilo-class subs — nicknamed "the Black Hole" because of their stealth — took place in the run-up to the latest US-led strikes in Syria.
But submarine and antisubmarine warfare in general have become areas of more intense focus for both Russia and NATO, the latter of which is increasingly concerned about what it sees as Russian encroachment in Europe and the seas around it.
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WNU Editor: Here is the Russian submarine fleet in one infographic .... There Are Seventy-Two Submarines In The Russian Navy (April 21, 2018)