The Royal Navy has confirmed that HMS Duncan and a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron tracked a Russian destroyer through UK waters in a 48-hour NATO operation, marking the first time a British warship has been tasked directly under the alliance’s command for such a mission.
According to the official release, Portsmouth-based HMS Duncan was activated by NATO Allied Maritime Command in Northwood to shadow the Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov through the English Channel.
The mission formed part of NATO’s wider maritime security effort across northern Europe, complementing ongoing work by HMS Somerset in the North Atlantic.
A coordinated multinational response saw Duncan’s Wildcat helicopter joined by a Dutch Air Force NH90 and the French Navy. The Ministry of Defence said the operation “underscores the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding UK waters and protecting national security through the Plan for Change.”
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said, “The Royal Navy stands ready to respond to any Russian naval activity. They conduct constant monitoring operations to safeguard Britain and our territorial waters. Once again the Royal Navy has deployed under Allied Maritime Command, underpinning our unwavering solidarity with NATO to counter Russian activity.”
HMS Duncan’s Commanding Officer, Commander Dan Lee, added, “This operation highlights the Royal Navy’s commitment to safeguarding UK waters and working seamlessly with our NATO allies to ensure the security of our shared maritime spaces. The professionalism and teamwork displayed by all involved ensured the operation was conducted safely and effectively, showcasing our shared resolve to uphold international maritime norms.”
HMS Duncan is attached to Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), the alliance’s premier task force operating across northern European waters. Meanwhile, Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset continues maritime security patrols between Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland as part of Operation Relentless, protecting the UK’s nuclear deterrent assigned to NATO.
HMS Somerset’s Commanding Officer, Commander Matt Millyard, said, “Working as part of SNMG1 over the last few weeks has allowed us to further contribute to NATO’s presence in the region. The port visits have been a great opportunity for the crew to relax after a busy operational period and prepare for an even busier period over the next few months.”
More spin and waffle.
What “plan for change”?
On the vessel, often comments deride the use of an River, compared to what its escorting.
So is using a T45, a billion pound Destroyer, overkill then?
Or is it still substandard as it has no ASM ready to exchange broadsides apart from those on its Wildcat?
Navy Command use what’s available.
I personally prefer a River to be used or a FRE Frigate.
We’re short of those now though. 🙄
russian incursion into U.K waters is starting to get too regular for my liking putjin and the admirals of his navy are baiting us and maybe a better size of deterrence is needed not just the royal navy, but a standing NATO patrol group made up from nations from Norway down to Spain. might prove that we’ve had enough of the childish games that Putin is playing at.
Unfortunately, the Channel is an international waterway and they have a right to use it.
Some Chinese and Russians might say the RN is baiting them after our ship passed Tiawan and that T45 that sailed past Crimea?
It’s allowed.
Bear in mind that the T45 may have another tasking and be in the way to that tasking whilst doing the escorting!
Sometimes it is just good to see T45 being utilised as the availability has been so dreadful for so many years.
There has been no incursion by any Russian vessel into UK territorial waters, the channel is open to anyone and as much as those Russians are getting bold in other parts of Europe they do appear to be following the rules for transit in the Channel – for now. The poke and prod in the same way they do with aircraft in our areas of interest but do not dare enter, despite the woes of the wider fleet we are managing to keep up with escorting all of the ships they send around us.
People complain when a patrol ship is used for a patrol ship job because they like the fantasy idea of every ship bristling with weapons for a point blank fight that will never happen in the channel, those same people then complain when a warship is used in those same scenarios because it’s overkill.
It doesn’t matter what ship we use, a P2000 will be just as good as a T-45 or River class really. Hypothetically speaking of a Ru vessel were to attack a RN escort the Channel (at point blank range) is not where that’s going to happen anyway, being surrounded by the French surface fleet, RN surface fleet and Belgium and the Netherlands as well as less than 30 minutes flight time from the RAF F-35 base doesn’t sound like a great idea even if they outgun the vessel following it significantly.
Exactly.
It’d be hilarious, though, if we sent out 4 Archers and they surrounded it in formation.
I think a Russian warship would leave them in its wake. Kulakov claims a top speed of 35 knots, and as I recall, most of the P2000s can’t go above 20 knots (the newer ones supposedly go a few knots faster). There’s a difference between playing the role of a fast attack craft in Baltic exercises, and actually being fast, or indeed an attack craft.
Jon, it is amazing that Russia can keep afloat the old warship from 1980. Warships of 45 years old are not really viable. Maybe for training. HMS Duncan must have had a good chuckle.
Not so much a P2000, the Russian could play put the small boat crew through vomit hell by just edging up its speed to a point the sea state and speed make it hell for the P2000.. small boats away from inshore sheltered areas trying to go the same speed as a ship can go is murder on the crew.
That’s what the OPVs are are for ……2000 tones, a small ships fight of some description and a medium gun for those time expressions of irritation are what you need in these situations.
In reality when two warships are sitting waving at each other like that a meduim gun is far more useful than a heavyweight Antiship missile.. for instance the minimum effective range for a harpoon is 13miles, the small NSM is better but it’s still around 1.8 miles. Even if you are out of the 1.8 mile range the speed of the shells from a medium gun are about 790 meters per second vs 329 meters per second for the NSM so say your just beyond the 3km range where you can engage with NSM ( let’s say 3.3km ) it takes 10 seconds for your missile to hit and CIWs and EW can engage it only takes about 4.3 seconds for your 5inch gun shells to hit and CIWs and EW are no help…
Also if you wanted to send a message.. and it’s all be bit spicy you can use a medium gun to express displeasure in a non kinetic way. It’s one of the reasons I think the Rivers should all be given a 57mm and well as a small hanger for autonomous air vehicles.. it would make them very good in this role.. pointed enough to make the point and not a waste of a frigate or destroyer.
Good point on the guns.
Personally, a river with 57 mm sounds like a great idea.
But I’d like to think we can get Magura-style drone boats to manage any truly kinetic defence of the North Sea and Channel. If you had launch points spread along the east and south coasts, with their speed they could be on station to deal with any bad behaviour very quickly- and we get plenty of warning due to our allies. The River doesn’t end up being undergunned in the very unlikely event that something does kick off then. You only need a couple of ‘show and tell’ runs where the Maguras form up with the river to escort the Russian ship to get the message across.
Hi Joe indeed in wartime you would not be using the OPV to confront surface combatants.. but when your in a sub kinetic conflict, as we are with Russia that will only likely get more aggressive, the means to express your will is important and there is a reason the concept of the shot across the bows exits.. for that sort of highly charged “starring into their eyes” game of chicken that often developed around sub kinetic conflicts you need crewed boat with a solid captain who has faith in his ship and medium gun.
In a kinetic war the OPVs would still need to be used to provide the EEZ with monitoring and protection they would need self protection from drones just incase something got through the air cover they would be under. Remember Magura are essentially effectors not permanent presence… essentially the OPVs would act as the tender for a few Magura and the 57mm would allow them to do do that.
Indeed, a few months ago RFA Proteus “escorted” a Russian visitor and despite being unarmed, did a pretty good job of bullying Yantar on it’s merry way.
the interesting thing about that one is that it was a meeting of peers, both unarmed auxiliaries essentially designed for grey war and political warfare.. one offensive political warfare and the other defensive.
Hi Daniele, agreed- it’s a simple escort job at the end of the day.
Personally, I think we should be rethinking how we manage this kind of thing completely.
Our entire south coast, and east coast up to at least Scotland is suitable operating area for Magura-style drone boats. Possibly the Irish sea too. 3 of them have been shown to be able to knock out a Russian destroyer before and they’re fast. We’ve seen how just the threat of them has closed off the entire northern and western black sea to the Russians, they’d be even more effective in the North Sea and Channel.
We should have launch points spread along the east and south coasts, ready to react to any unacceptable behaviour, and leave the escorting of transitting ships to the Rivers.
Did the Russian vessel, at any time, leave international waters. Would it not be easier and cheaper to monitor this vessel using a drone/UAV rather than deploying an expensive RN vessel.
It would.
But I prefer more in your face actions than stand off when it comes to Russia.
Hi M8. This particular ship entered service in 1981 and spent 17 years awaiting a repair and refit, it’s never been upgraded so is pretty well stuck with 1960’s / 70’s weapons. It actually makes the RN and HMS Darings woes look quite good in comparison 🤷🏼♂️
The RN should have just engaged their sense of humour sent out a Tug with a sign on it, “Tow rates available on request”.
There you go a bit of B+ 😉
Russian shipbuilding is profoundly broken.. to be honest my big worry is when uncle Xi provides them with 20 news frigates and destroys for oil coal ect..l
Jonathan, exactly. Once the Ukraine war is settled. They have no constraints. China shipyards would be busy filling Russian orders for carriers, destroyers. In return, China could buy warplanes. Arms sales are booming every where.
I doubt China would want Russian planes…..?
But I do take the point on ships….China could well sell a reasonable fleet to Russia for oil or ‘leased’ territory….Russia will become a Chinese vassal state.
The slow takeover of Russia by China might well be Xi’s plan….
It is worth considering if Xi encourages the invasion of UKR knowing the issues that Russia would get into….this then degrades them in the world stage….self degrades the Russians and leaves the door open for China.
Just how much extra did it cost to deploy the T45 in this way compared to whatever else it would have been doing?
Not to mention the fact that shis and more specifically their crews, need something to do once in a while. It’s great training and experience.
The most important thing is duncun being at sea ,as a ship should be ,God bless them all.
Poseidon ac could do it instead and cheaper cost and more effective too particular if it buzzed them too.
Could even get cheaper than that – a Tekever Drone operates out of Lydd Airport for the Home office, not Military but good enough for Eyes and Intel.
Russian destroyer that’s even older than our Type 23 frigates…
44 year old.
The very cutting edge of 1970s soviet ASW technology and ship building… ( AKA a useless deathtrap).
Any one who has replied to a post of mine…sorry guys. I lost everything yesterday on the magic box!
What is interesting is in 2012 and 2013 this ship was a semi regular visitor to UK ports.. just proves how much of a sucker for the end of history and the last man Cameron was.. even four years after Russia invaded Georgia and occupied its territory, its militarisation and arming of dissident groups in Ukraine and build of of troops on its borders..forcing Viktor Yanukovych into the Russian camp and Cameron was still inviting the Russians for tea and biscuits… just before it invaded Ukraine in 2014 in a pre planned operation…
Cameron was truly hopeless. Too smug and ignorant to understand his own ignorance.
Perhaps the public in future would be better served if the achievement of a PPE from Oxford should actually serve as a bar to office.
It went both ways, you can see the Russian’s allowing Guards in full ceremonial dress in the Victory day parade pre 2014.
not a few more money shot pics, not taken by a canberra 🙂