I read about this last week, and seemed a bit pointless. Yes, a drop from very high altitude. But wouldn't be just about as stealthy to send your commandos in on a raft from a submarine? Also, what sort of threats does Russia imagine it's confronting in the Arctic? The armored bears from The Golden Compass?

I wonder what the facility in the background of the photos is and why it wasn't airbrushed out. It looks like some kind radio communications station, VLF for subs?