Brandon J. Weichert of The National Interest reports that a Cyprus-based company, Mostrello Commercial Ltd., allegedly purchased advanced Western sonar and undersea detection equipment and transferred it to Russia for use in its Arctic “Harmony” submarine detection system. This network strengthens Russia’s ability to monitor and protect its nuclear submarines, undermining US and NATO covert operations in the region. The purchases, made from suppliers in the US, UK, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and other NATO countries, were reportedly on behalf of a Moscow-based firm linked to Russian intelligence agencies. Harmony forms a critical part of Russia’s Bastion Defense strategy, enabling more effective Arctic area-denial capabilities. Weichert writes:

The West continues to be its own worst enemy when it comes to dealing with its enemies. Essentially, the United States and its Western partners value openness in their affairs. It’s how the West became so fabulously wealthy. Many assume this is how the West became technologically advanced as quickly as it did, too.

Yet, there are many downsides. Notably, America’s erstwhile rivals, notably in China and Russia, routinely exploit that openness for their own gain. Indeed, China’s entire rise as an industrial behemoth is the result of a vast and ongoing industrial espionage program aimed at America.

Now, The Washington Post is reporting something similar has transpired with the Russians. While China’s espionage is comprehensive, Russia’s is more focused. In this case, the Russians gained access to sensitive Western technology to build their advanced “Harmony” undersea sensor grid—which is today used by the Russian Navy to defend the passes into Russia’s most sensitive nuclear submarine bases in the Arctic. […]

According to The Washington Post, a Cyprus-based firm, Mostrello Commercial Ltd., acted as a shell company for Russia’s defense sector. Mostrello went on to purchase high-end maritime gear, such as sonar systems, subsurface antennas, fiber optic cabling, underwater drones capable of operating at depths up to 3,000 meters, and seabed positioning systems. […]

Basically, in the event of a crisis, the United States Navy always knew it could rely on its stealthy submarines to sneak into Russian territory and monitor the operations of Russian nuclear submarines to gauge their intentions. The Harmony detection system makes the US submarine force’s mission to conduct covert surveillance on Russian assets nearly impossible. […]

Read more here.