Patrol ship HMS Tyne has escorted two Russian Ropucha class landing ships through the Channel.
According to a press release, the patrol vessel monitored the progress of military transporters Minsk and Alexander Shabalin for more than 500 miles each as the vessel passed the British Isles.
The Russian vessels are used to move military equipment from Russia’s northern ports to its bases in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
It is understood that Minsk was on her way back to northern European waters and Tyne was on a fishery protection patrol of the North Sea when she was alerted to the Russian vessel approaching the UK.
According to A Royal Navy press release, the Tyne sailed at top speed for nearly 500 miles to the gateway to the Channel where her bridge team used sophisticated navigation software and radars to successfully locate the Russian transporter before following the Minsk’s progress through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and back into the North Sea.
In August, Tyne accompanied the Minsk’s sister ship Alexander Shabalin as it headed in the opposite direction, bound for the Mediterranean.
Lt Craig Clark, Tyne’s Executive Officer said:
“I am incredibly proud of the way our ship’s company reacted to this rapid activation – and with the professionalism they showed in this escort duty.
Contributing to the UK’s maritime security is something the Royal Navy does day in, day out around the world.
HMS Tyne is an incredibly versatile ship, one which is ideally suited to operating around the UK and in European waters to support our security.”
The Ropucha class can carry ten tanks and nearly 350 troops.
With four 57mm cannon she rather outguns the Tyne.
totally agree which begs the question that we always ask, why our we under arming our ships? we are supposed to be good at this whole naval thing
we have a load of type45’s in harbor, could we send one out to do the job?
What could a Daring do that the Tyne couldn’t?
I’m sure if needed the Royal Navy could of deployed a Frigate but we do have to remember the patrol vessel was there just to monitor.. Unlikely there was going to be a shooting match lol
The patrol vessel wasn’t there to monitor, it was there to be seen to be reacting to the Russian ships traveling in our area of influence. Sending something that is outgunned by the ships it is ‘escorting’ shows weakness.
Also what exactly are our frigates for, other than providing a show of strength and escorting other vessels.
the type 45’s are being re-fitted with aster
fooking embarrassing,
should have sent our 1 f35 and thrown in 3 typoons for fun and maybe done a couple of low flybys
just read an article that our armed forces are down from 80k
frighting!
The typhoons would have been a bad idea PR wise, we don’t have any air to sea missiles and the press would have loved to jump on that story.
For goodness sake, it sounds like a perfectly routine use of a transport ship by the Russians to move men and material between its northern and southern bases via international waters. It was not the start or world war 3 and the UK response was entirely appropriate.
Agreed, but appearances matter.
I suppose it’s how you interpret the appearance. To put an alternative spin on it … If you were going for a job interview for a very senior job and when you turned up you discovered that you were being interviewed by a very junior person and weren’t going to meet any of the management team you would probably feel quite insulted. There were presumably sufficient naval and air assets within reasonable striking range that could easily have taken out that Russian ship were something to kick off so why not send out an office junior to “interview it”?