The Royal Navy and RAF have conducted a multi-day operation shadowing a Russian task group returning from Syria through the English Channel and North Sea, marking the third such operation in six weeks as Russia increases its military activity near UK waters.
A Type 23 frigate, HMS Somerset, along with minehunter HMS Cattistock, RFA Tidesurge, and Navy helicopters, closely monitored the Russian warships and transport vessels carrying cargo from the Eastern Mediterranean. The RAF’s P8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth also gathered intelligence on the group’s movements.
The Russian task group included:
- Destroyer RFN Severomorsk (Udaloy-class)
- Landing ship RFN Alexander Shabalin
- Transport ships MV Sparta IV and MV Siyanie Severa
HMS Somerset and her Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron first intercepted the Severomorsk south of Portsmouth on Sunday, March 16, after RFA Tidesurge had tracked the warship through the North Sea and the Strait of Dover.
At the same time, minehunter HMS Cattistock was positioned off Cornwall, monitoring the cargo ships as they joined Severomorsk for their passage east.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard reaffirmed the UK’s stance on defending its waters, stating:
“Russia should be in no doubt that the UK will defend our waters. I’m grateful to all the personnel who shadowed this Russian convoy. National security is a foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change, and ensuring freedom of navigation contributes to our economy.”
Commander Joel Roberts, Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset, emphasized the importance of the operation:
“Over the last few days, HMS Somerset has escorted Russian ships through UK waters in resolute support of our national priorities. The ship’s company have shown great professionalism while conducting the operation, integrating with other ships, helicopters, and maritime patrol aircraft, including those from our NATO allies.”
Lieutenant Commander Rob Garner, Commanding Officer of HMS Cattistock, highlighted the readiness of his crew:
“Cattistock has recently completed a period of Operational Sea Training off western Scotland, and my ship’s company are sharp and ready to protect the UK’s security at sea.”
The Royal Navy has now shadowed three separate Russian task groups in just six weeks, as Moscow continues to move military and transport ships through UK waters from Syria.
The Russian Navy might be steaming old clunkers (just google those transport ships!) past our shores, but why in god’s name are we responding by shadowing them with a tanker of all things?
Oh deary me, here we go again yawn.
“Shadowing”…. go look it up. It’s a term used to follow and observe…. It’s so boring every time someone asks this question.
We shadow ships through the channel all the time, so do the French and so many many other nations along the route these ships take.
Tides are just assets that are handy and they happen to be rather active in the Channel given that they are normally based in Falmouth, Devonport, Portland and rather active in the Channel quite a lot.
Why do you think a shadow needs to be able to sink a peacetime Ship transiting International waters legally ?
Do you not think it would be prudent to respond like for like, given the present tension in the world? Or at the very least, provide a ship with a RN crew? I get your point but it feels more like reactionary defensiveness to a legitimate question
No…. Next.
Actually, I should have said, Go look at the article, you’ll see that a T23 and a P8 together with Catistock and the Tide and probably another Wildcat were also involved. That’s not counting every other EU/NATO ship that has been shadowing these ships for weeks.
I suggest you embrace Google, It’ll help you to understand that these things are way more complicated than you seen to think.
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I guess it’s what the Russians think that’s important. Whatever the merits what we think here might predictably lead to rather humorous remarks mind if the Russians shadow a uk or NATO task forces off their shores with tankers or similar but maybe they do I had never really questioned it tbh. Anyone know?
I know they used to shadow our assets with AGIs all the time. Fishing trawlers, bristling with antenna.
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Would love it just once if we sent out a force of overwhelming might to show the Ruskies just what they would be having to contend with. European NATO overpowers Russia’s navy by most metrics in the maritime and air domain. Its not just a slight qualitative and quantitative advantage it is overwhelming dominance.
Next time one of these rust bucket groupings sails past the UK have 3 astute class surface right next to them, a QEC class carrier battlegroup nonchalantly sail past with a full line up of F35Bs and Merlins and Apache on deck. I know its childish but it would ram home the point. Ideally joined by a few ENATO warships at the same time.
Would be a great photo opportunity and would really improve morale.
Congratulations on posting probably the most stupid thing ever bin the history of the UKDJ site.
Every day I read so much rubbish here, It’s getting more and more cringeworthy.
You are free to read elsewhere of course if your intelligence is so insulted here Freddie, don’t let we mere mortals hold you back.
So you agree with his nonsense then ?
Its all Theatre – while we Shadow their Ships they shadow ours,they know what we have and where they are deployed and vice versa.The Tides have a Flight Deck,that is all that’s required in this instance.
are there ever 3 astutes at sea and would they really all be in the channel?
No and no is the simple answer.
Shadowing with a Hunt isn’t going to scare them… its top speed is less than the Cargo Ship!
And another one comes along…..
Oh still here then.
Yes I am, what’s it got to do with you ?
You’re weird
Fortunately scaring them is not the point. Letting them know we are watching, the same as having an Astute surface alongside the Yantar recently is all about reminding them that we know what they are doing and are simply making sure that no malfeasance is taking place. Lovely word that, malfeasance , covers a whole multitude of sins.
We are really going to need more OPV’s – small unmanned mine countermeasure drones can’t substitute for the few remaining Hunt’s on these type of shadowing and escorting duties. Also the three Batch 1 Rivers are due to decommission in 2028 and it seems unlikely that another life extension will be economic after being hard worked for 25 years. I’m assuming of course that the T31’s will in practice be used as conventional frigates, rather than wasted as very costly forward deployed OPV’s.
B2’s doing this are much berated on here too. The Ignorance runs deep I fear.
We are not at war with Russia, we do monitor their movements….. and that’s it.
Rivers are fine for constabulary duties and keeping a very overt eye on Russians.
However, they are useless in a war situation.
There is also, probably, a place for Rivers doing constabulary duties even in wartime. Provided we don’t get crazy ideas about turning them into improvised warships.
We oppose the Ukraine war and any person with any morality would agree with that. We also know that everything they send through the channel is supporting their barbaric bullying of their weaker neighbour. We should be sinking them ships, yes there will be consequences but the realistic amongst us know we will be fighting Russia sooner or later in defence if our very existence, so we should do it on our terms not Russias and attack first. As Ukraine made this very mistake.
Well to follow that logic surely Turkey,Greece,Italy,Spain and Portugal should have had a go long before they got to us👍
These Ships are in retreat, you don’t seem to understand the whole story here. Russia was booted out of Syria and all these ships are returning home under a cloud.
“Was booted out”?
Who’s base are thousands of Alawites taking refuge at the moment? I think Russia will eventually close both bases but there are talks with Turkey so see what happens.
You should do a little research.
You have been very angry picking fights with everyone here recently, very entertaining, you should go to Ukraine and put that energy to good use
As long as they’re met, and watched, and they know it, that is fine.
You’d assume other, more covert forms of surveillance are also the norm.
Agreed, its the time-honoured game. “Look, we have big stick”. “Well so do we and you are standing in front of my house…now buzz off” .
I know it wouldn’t happen but I would to read that a bad actor cargo ship was about to drag its anchor and damage cables when, SURPRISE, an Astute surfaced right beside it.