The Type 45 Destroyer sailed from Dover to monitor the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov as they passed through the UK’s area of interest.
Commander Ben Keith, the Commanding Officer of HMS Diamond, said:
“HMS Diamond is proud to once again be playing her part in protecting the UK by monitoring these vessels on their transit. This is routine business for the Royal Navy and the second time my ship’s company have undertaken such an escort duty this summer.
While many families are enjoying their summer holidays, my ship’s company are working hard at sea to keep Britain safe and will continue to do so for as long as we are required. I would like to thank the families of my crew whose support is vital while we carry out our duty to the nation.”
The Udaloy-class destroyer Severomorsk and Slava-class cruiser Marshal Ustinov recently finished taking part in the Russian Navy Days event in the Baltic port of St Petersberg and are now deploying out of the area.
Overnight HMS Diamond maintained watch in UK waters, monitoring the Russian warships as they approach the UK coast. As the ships entered the busy shipping lanes between Norfolk and continental Europe, Diamond manoeuvred into formation alongside them and made them aware of her presence, say the Royal Navy.
I’m always amazed at the amount of firepower the Russians can bolt to their ships regardless of size. Do they routinely sail with a full complement of weaponry because that seems rather excessive to me in times of relative peace.
Russian did have inflatable tanks during the cold war to throw of US satellites. So could be oil barrels welded together to look like launch tubes 🙂
The Russian approach, especially during the Cold War, was to go for quantity over quality approach. Build massive numbers of technologically inferior tanks, bolt seemingly insane amounts of firepower onto their ships, develop fast, heavily armed submarines that aren’t stealthy at all by modern standards, its the same story across most of their forces. Obviously, there are exceptions, but looking at most of their advanced programmes you see that they either fail or the numbers procured were tiny compared to what they announced.
During the Cold War, that approach made them look good in a Top Trumps comparison, but looking deeper they were clearly inferior. Now though, when Western forces are repeatedly cutting orders of high tech platforms because of spiraling costs, the Russian approach looks surprisingly good, because say what you will, but Russia isn’t facing the numbers crisis we are across every branch
Thank God the heatwave is over!
Is that… Harpoon on the front??
Keith – yes looks like the full monty,Sea Viper,Harpoon and Phalanx whats not to like !
Nobody out the kettle on if they decide to speed up.
Despite the tongue in cheek comments it’s nice to see us sending something that could actually look imposing tonnage wise in comparison to what it’s “escorting”.
Agreed!
It looks impressive but ASM against modern ships at point blank range are deadly so it’s a bit like fighter jets in a dog fight or sub’s in a fight. The one who shoots first wins.
So we should just escort these ships with a small patrol ship and have ASM armed QRA jets at 10 seconds notice of launch. If they sink our patrol ship we sink their cruisers.
Need to replace Sea Eagle. 12 and 617 used to be maritime strike roled I think.
Perseus is going to be a replacement for both Harpoon and Storm Shadow, so when that comes into service it will also be a spiritual successor to Sea Eagle
Callum, The Perseus looks like it’s going to be great Missile. I believe it can travel at Mach 5 plus it has two “effectors” Missile launched from the main Missile. The main Missile will have a 200kg warhead and the other two will have 50kg warheads.
OT – and yes – it’s The Mail… However, these are some very nice photos of the 2nd batch of F35s crossing the pond.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6035217/Second-batch-120m-F-35-stealth-fighter-jets-fly-Atlantic.html
Cheers!
Also OT: Cool! I think the UK are due 3 more soon? We’re in LRIP 10 right?
The comments on other sites are ridicoulous. Some whine about the Russians being perfectly entitled to move through the English channel and others saying a warship is unneeded. I shake my head at such ignorance and also the portion of our population who seem to have a ridcoulous love of Russia because of Strongman Putin and hatred of their own country.
If one cares about one’s blood pressure the comments on most newspaper web sites relating to any defence news are best avoided. The level of ignorance and often defeatism on display there is truly annoying (and depressing).
Agree with your comments literally Julian. I can actually feel my BP rising when I read the comments section on the DT when it comes to defence matters to the extent that I don’t go there anymore. The extent of the ignorance therein is truly frightening.
To be honest most of them are Russian trolls who give them selves anglo saxon names and pretend to be pro putin and like to make out the novichok attack was a UK goverment plot, that sort of give them away a bit, because no one from the uk is that stupid.
True. I suppose that at least makes it less depressing. Still annoying though.
I was born and raised in the North West, I’m a patriot and love this country dearly.
But I don’t believe the official government position on the Salisbury poisoning.
So am I stupid and Russian?
What was it Peter Hutchins said
“I sense an even deeper and more thoughtless frenzy over Russia, a country many seem to enjoy loathing because they know so little about it,” he wrote. “I have already been accused, on a public stage, of justifying Moscow’s crime in Salisbury. This false charge was the penalty I paid for trying to explain the historical and political background to these events. I wonder if the bitterness also has something to do with the extraordinarily deep division over the EU, which has made opponents into enemies in a way not seen since the Suez Crisis.”
There also seems to be a fairly large part of our society that call anyone who doesn’t believe the official government/mainstream media narrative on Russia a “Putin bot” “defeatist” “traitor”
I think you fit nicely in that category Dave, with the rest of the sheep.
I’m slightly different in my opinion Sole.
I personally do believe Russia was behind the Salisbury incident. Much like Litvenenko Williams and others.
That’s fair enough.
And yet. I’m happy to stand up for Russia when hypocrisy rears its head.
And yes. I too am a patriot and love my cou try. And want it well armed incase of Russian aggression.
Sometimes defending Russia does not make me a Russian “Troll” either.
I subscribe to Scientific Method, which tells me I do not have enough information from which to draw a conclusion. When this happens I sometimes fall back onto Occam’s razor which, in this case tells me with the UK government putting out 1 explanation and the Russian government putting out 20+ that vary from the ridiculous to the outright outrageous, that the UK government explanation/theory is the MOST LIKELY to be true. (note the most likely, not definitely).
Steve and Daniele, fair enough comments, although Daniele you have said you believe the official account without giving a reason and Steve you said you subscribe to the scientific method?
The UK government put out several different explanations even when all the supposed evidence was right in front of them with hundreds of trained professionals working on the case, how the Novichok was administered changed several times.
Russian officials from different departments (none on chemistry or criminology) were asked to give their account of what happened, seen as they have had absolutely no access to the investigation (even though they offered) they are supposed to all produce the same coherent version of events.
Imo they got that annoyed and amused about it so they started taking the piss with their answers, just look at the Russian UK embassy twitter feed to see that in action.
I doubt there has ever been any Novichok.
I believe the Skripals were somehow contaminated with an opiate type substance administered by persons unknown (couple in the cctv footage…red bag etc????) for nefarious purposes. The Novichok came into play to blame Russia for reasons i think we all understand.
Then the poor couple this time around unfortunately came across some bag drugs (cut with fentanyl/opiate of some kind) and the powers that be saw a way to shore up the narrative that had fallen by the wayside and produced novichok pt2.
The whole story is too sketchy but for me but the lack of nerve agent symptoms (and the presence of opioid overdose symptoms) are the giveaway. Severe muscle contraction, loss of bodily functions and the onset of a very quick death did not occur in any victim.
If you look at what people say about this who are impartial (not the BBC or RT) people will examine who gained and who lost out of this, and seen as there is no conclusive proof, there is no evidence that we know of that links the Russian state to this, who won? did Putin win out of this?
Some people say it was a “lesson” to would be double agents, so Russian agents beware, if you betray us we will try you in a court of law, sentence you to 13 years in prison for high treason, miss the most easy opportunity to take you out of jail in the heart of Russia and take him to a place, torture and kill him, then send photos and details to every single Russian agent. Let you out after 6 years in a spy swap and let you live a happy life for a further 8 years, then you will encounter the most incompetent assassins since Mr Wint and Mr Kid from Diamonds are Forever, who will make a botched attempt to kill you.
Russia lost out of this, lost lots of diplomats in Europe, strengthened anti-russian sentiment, shored up the already imposed sanctions that are hurting their economy, it just doesn’t make any sense.
Anyway that’s my take on things, I’m entitled to my opinion and i’m not saying you guys are wrong.
Do I think Russia did it? Maybe, but the investigators aren’t being very transparent about the investigation. They haven’t cooperated with multiple law enforcement agencies or independent labs. If your evidence is good why hide it?
The police to this day have not provided a consistent sequence of events as to how the poison got into their system. They failed to preserve evidence for example the bodies of the pets they said were exposed but destroyed anyway. Without allowing independent testing.
Also this doesn’t match Russia’s normal practices. For one it was sloppy and hit more than the target. Second it was survivable (the daughter) normally the FSB and it’s predecessors such as the KGB prefer things like “muggings” and “accidents” very deniable actions or when that’s not available a radioactive not a poison as their really isn’t a antidote for that. That’s of course if they couldn’t just disappear you.
Third why use a exotic chemical weapon that you are believed to be the only holder of? That is screaming from the rooftops “it was me!”.
Fourth and last if I was making a gruesome example of you to discourage treason. Why would I let your family back in Russia live this long? 30 years ago his family would have been rounded up, interrogated and shot before his plane landed at Heathrow.
Personally to put on my tinfoil hat for a minute. Cui Bono – Who benefits? Well the only beneficiaries of this attack have been the Ukraine. Who also had access to Novichok from when it was in development. I doubt it but their is just as much means, motive, and opportunity as Russia. If we are going by the “well you possess this so you did this argument.”
Not sheep sole, just we do not have Russian fantasys like yourself, or is it stockholm syndrome you have??
What Russian fantasies do i have?
Why would it be Stockholm syndrome? i don’t get it.
And the police officer who came along tried the drugs? I don’t think so.
I am all for objectivity, and I don’t believe that the national media is unbiased or objective, for example they were totally blinkered in their coverage of the Crimea situation with regard to history and Russian sentimentality, but you are getting into tinfoil hat areas with the above.
In a shooting war, HMS Diamond, with virtually no anti submarine defence, would be on the bottom in short order. Yes, the Russians cram so much weaponary onto their platforms. Our sailors deserve better Mr. Williamson.
Figure it out soleski ,but you did put a lot of passion in that novel size conspiracy theory comment trying to defend the rusky state which is very suspicious lol!! It makes more sense that putin who has done this before in 2006 ,tried to take out another Rusky spy working for the uk then your crazy ramblings thats for sure.
Back onto article. The type 45s are big ships. Cruiser sized. We only have 6 of them. Therefore to make the most of a limited resource we should be funding the strike length mk41 vl system fit when these ships go into dry dock for their PIP programme. Project Napier will sort out power problems but these fine ships need more arnaments. They have to evolve from being the best air defence destroyer in the world to true multi role warships optimised for air defence but with capability via mk41 vl strike cells for surface strike, anti ship and ant submarine warfare.
We are missing a trick here. Cost for strike length cell fit is probably ÂŁ24-32 million per ship 16-24 cells and then missile load. As the type 26 are getting these missiles it makes good logistical sense to arm the type 45s with the same.
The MOD have to get this done. We only have limited numbers of warships, but the ones we have should be armed to the teeth…..like the Russian’s.
I agree completely.
and what missiles are we going to put in the mk41 slots and what role will they fulfil?
VLS versions of Tomahawk, ASROC ASW missiles, and LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) which is in service with the USAF now and the USN next year. And SeaCeptor can be made to fir Mk41 too.
LRASM will come in a deck mounted box launcher as well as VLS ready. Type 45 has no need for ASROC and lacks a decent sonar anyway. Type 26 and Astute can carry Tomahawk so Type 45 doesn’t need to. I would like to see the MK41 fitted (space exists for 2 x 8 cell modules) but this would mean 16 extra cells but no space for deck launched ASMs so probably 8 of the 16 new cells would be for LRASM or Tomahawk AS, which would leave 8 cells for either Aster 45 (add another ÂŁ15 million for software upgrades to radar and CMS) for the BDM role or extra AAW rounds (Aster 15/30 or quad packed Sea Ceptor). So for about ÂŁ150 million we could add the MK41 and increase the Type 45s firepower by essentially 8 VLS cells for extra Aster (BDM capable or not) or 32 Sea Ceptor. This would leave the option of sailing with 32 Sea Ceptor in the MK41 and 48 Aster in the Sylver A50 and 8 ASMs. The question then becomes is it worth the money to add 32 Sea Ceptor and possibly BMD capability, I would say yes but considering we are burning about that much already for the engine repair I doubt the bean counters will agree.
The list is what is talked about possibly going into T26’s Mk41. The question being, I thought, was which missiles (are planned for) RN’s Mk41’s
I am very much doubtful T45 will ever receive Mk41 It will only ever need to carry Aster 30 and SeaCeptor. I can’t see the RN ever investing in BDM capability, even though being one of the world’s nuclear powers you would think it be a natural. BMD ops place quite a strain on the USN’s Burke fleet.
Tomahawk is going out of service with the USN and we are already a generation behind the USN. It would have made sense for Astute to have VLS to keep pace with USN submarine fleet but they don’t so. We only ever launch Tomahawks in penny packets to signal to the USN that ‘we are big boys too’. T26 with strike length Mk41 will take over. We will only have 7 Astute’s anyway.
I can’t see T26 ever getting ASROC even though it is occasionally mentioned when T27 and Mk41 is discussed. The USN are a belt and braces, gold standard organisation, the RN isn’t it has to watch its ordinance inventory.
T26 and F35b will carry anything else that is needed kinetically; cue ‘We don’t need this or that because USN……’ caveat.
As someone who has been living in Russia for 15 years, who fluently knows the language and who knows the culture and mentality inside out, I say the following:
It was Russia!!
Steve was clearly responding to Mr Bell so the question was about Type 45 with MK41 not Type 26. I would also think the MK41 on Type 26 has much more chance of seeing ASROC than Sea Ceptor since the ship already carries 48 of the latter but no torpedo tubes.
Well my bad. I think the effectiveness of STWS is questionable these days. The UK won’t buy ASROC
And you really think that ASROC will come before SeaCeptor? No. Sorry.
In MK41 on Type 26, yes ASROC before CAAM because there will already be plenty of CAAM.