|
When a Russian military ship called the Yantar suddenly crossed the Atlantic and started moving down the East Coast of the United States last month, it set off alarm bells inside the world of U.S. naval intelligence. |
|
一艘名為揚塔號的俄國軍艦在上個月無預警橫越大西洋,開始沿著美國東岸南下,隨即引發了美國海軍情報單位的警戒。 |
|
U.S. spy satellites, aircraft and submarines tracked the ship all the way down the coast to Cuba, according to two U.S. defense officials. |
|
美國的間諜衛星、飛機與潛艇追蹤這艘船一路往南到古巴沿岸,兩名美國國防部官員表示。 |
|
It had been years since the U.S. last saw this type of activity by the Russians, officials said. |
|
While the Russians have insisted the Yantar is not a spy ship, U.S. naval intelligence believes it has one significant and unsettling capability: small underwater vehicles that can cut vital undersea cables carrying vast amounts of commercial and military data, voice communications and Internet service between the U.S. and Europe. |
|
美國上次發現俄國有這種行為已是多年前,官員指出。雖然俄國堅稱揚塔號並非間諜艦,美國海軍情報單位還是認為那艘船具備一項重要而且令人不安的能力:搭載了能夠切斷重要海底纜線的小型水下載具,該纜線負責傳輸美國與歐洲間大量的商業與軍事資料、語音通訊和網路服務。 |
|
U.S. officials told CNN there was no indication that the Russians have any intention of cutting the cables, but they said that they are showing off their capability to U.S. naval intelligence by their actions. |
|
美國官員向 CNN 表示,沒有跡象顯示俄國有意切斷纜線,但他們表示俄國乃是藉著這項行動向美國海軍情報單位展示自己的能力。 |
|
The U.S. has watched for the last several months as Russian submarines in deep water have come close to the undersea cables. |
|
A network of Navy undersea sensors has been set off several times as the submarines approached the cables. |
|
The officials said the Russians would be aware that their actions would cause the network to detect them. |
|
過去幾個月,俄國潛艇在深海中接近海底纜線,美國持續監視著。美國海軍的海底探測器網絡多次因潛艇接近纜線而發出警訊。官員表示,俄國明知自己的行為會受到探測器網絡偵測。 |
|
The U.S. Navy considers all submarine operations to be highly classified and is almost always reluctant to talk about them. |
|
But earlier this month, the top U.S. Navy commander publicly addressed the rise in Russian submarine operations. |
|
美國海軍視所有潛艇行動為高度機密,因此幾乎都不太願意談論。不過,美國海軍司令卻在本月稍早公開提及俄國潛艇行動頻繁的現象。 |
|
"The proficiency and operational tempo of the Russian submarine force is increasing," said Adm. Mark Ferguson, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe. |
|
「俄國潛艇部隊的熟練度及操作速度都在提昇,」美國駐歐洲海軍司令馬克.弗格森上將表示。 |