The US Department of Defense (DoD) has completed its first-ever comprehensive strategy for the area around the Black Sea, focusing on creating integrated regional systems for air and sea surveillance, crisis response and border security.
In the past, US interest has been discouraged in the Black Sea as the backyard firstly of the Soviet Union, then Russia and other littoral states; even within NATO, Turkey has an uneasy relationship with US involvement in the Black Sea.
However, US strategists are concerned that the Black Sea could be a conduit for weapons of mass destruction, terrorists or drugs. "One would presume that some of that goes on, but we don't know," a Pentagon official told Jane’s under condition of anonymity. While it is possible the threat is not great, "right now we don't have the detection and surveillance capabilities to know if that's the case".
Part of the strategy is to get littoral states to engage with Turkey's 'Black Sea Harmony' maritime security operations, which some see as a competitor to NATO's Mediterranean Operation 'Active Endeavor' (OAE). Many Western officials would like to expand the OAE into the Black Sea, but the Pentagon supports 'Black Sea Harmony', believing it to be more effective than the OAE, the Pentagon official said.
World Defence Industry Files - US Black Sea strategy emerges, but may lack Pentagon focus
Uhh, yet another problem which Putin would piss off ?
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