A bastion functioned like an outer castle wall: it sheltered vital assets and supported sorties intended to keep the enemy farther away. The Barents Sea protected ballistic-missile submarines, so Soviet forces sought to prevent NATO from reaching it by fighting farther forward. Bastions developed from earlier defensive practice, with espionage providing additional impetus rather than a single explanation for their adoption. The Soviet Navy already knew how noisy its submarines were because it listened to them itself. Intelligence confirming NATO's knowledge could strengthen the case for quieter submarines and further defensive measures. Kiev-class carriers could rely on land-based fighters, airborne early warning, and patrol aircraft within the bastion, but operations farther into the Norwegian Sea required more aviation to accompany the fleet.
Chapter · 1:13:56-1:20:05
The Barents bastion and the Norwegian Sea battle
The Barents bastion was an outer defensive zone from which Soviet forces would try to hold NATO at distance in the Norwegian Sea.