Russia is expanding its military presence in the Pacific in a manner not seen since the Cold War. From California to Guam and Alaska, Russian long range bombers, maritime reconnaissance warplanes and nuclear armed submarines seem to be everywhere. Russia's surge in the Pacific is best summed up by the words of its envoy in Washington. Commenting on America's return to the region, ambassador Sergey Kislyak said: "You are pivoting to Asia, but we're already there." According to NATO, Russian air patrols outside its borders were at their highest level since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.