A U.S. Navy delegation will visit Russia on December 10-12 to discuss the prevention of incidents at sea and future bilateral cooperation, a Russian Navy spokesman said.
During a series of meetings between the visiting group of U.S. naval officials and Russia's top Navy commanders the sides "will discuss the implementation of the Agreement on the prevention of incidents at sea and the future cooperation between the Russian and the U.S. navies," the spokesman told RIA Novosti.
The Russian-U.S. Agreement on the prevention of incidents at sea was signed on 25 May 1972 in Moscow by the Secretary of the Navy for the United States and the Commander in Chief of the Soviet Navy for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
In May 1973, during the first annual review, a protocol to the agreement was negotiated which extends certain provisions of the agreement to include non-military ships.
It was established to increase communication of military activities, thereby preventing miscalculations and avoiding armed conflicts that might arise from a misinterpretation of one side's intentions as hostile.
The agreement is extended automatically every three years.
In addition, Russia has long proposed to develop a draft international agreement on the prevention of incidents underwater to ease tensions over activities of nuclear submarines in neutral waters.
The proposal stipulates that countries which possess submarine fleets should warn other countries about the activities of their submarines in specific areas during patrol or training missions to avoid underwater collisions with submarines of other navies.
A recent collision between a British and a French nuclear sub has added urgency to the work on such an agreement.
The Royal Navy's HMS Vanguard and the French Navy's Triomphant collided in the Atlantic Ocean on the night between February 3-4, 2009.
HMS Vanguard was on a routine patrol in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean with a crew of 135, and was armed with a maximum of 16 Trident 2 D5 ballistic missiles carrying up to 48 warheads in total. Triomphant was returning from a tour of duty when the incident occurred; it was carrying a crew of 111, and was equipped with 16 M45 ballistic missiles with up to 48 warheads in total.
Both vessels sustained damage, but no injuries or radiation leaks were reported.
Although the U.S. opposes the signing of an agreement which could impose a certain degree of control over its large fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, Washington has to respond to the increased activity of the Russian submarines in the Arctic and near the U.S. coast.
In July, the United States was unable to detect the presence of Russian strategic submarines in the Arctic before they test-launched two ballistic missiles.
In August, two Russian attack submarines were spotted in international waters off the U.S. coast.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated in November that Russia planned to build up a constant presence throughout the world's oceans.
So far, nuclear-powered strategic and attack submarines remain the core of Russia's ocean-faring fleet.
MOSCOW, December 10 (RIA Novosti)
