HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate, was dispatched from Plymouth to monitor the movements of the Russian Gorshkov-class guided missile frigate Admiral Kasatonov and support tanker Akademik Pashin.
The frigate maintained a close watch over the Russian vessels as they transited the English Channel on Sunday morning and proceeded towards the North Sea, tracking their every move during their journey through the Bay of Biscay.
Russia’s Northern Fleet flagship, the Admiral Kasatonov, has been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean since early 2022, in conjunction with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Akademik Pashin arrived in the area later in the year.
The HMS Portland, equipped with advanced sonars, sensors, and torpedoes for specialized operations, is accompanied by a specialist Merlin helicopter to provide real-time reports on the activities of the Russian ships.
The ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Ed Moss-Ward, was quoted as saying:
“The Royal Navy routinely responds to escort warships in our territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas to ensure compliance with maritime law and to deter malign activity. Escorting the Russian task group alongside allied partners demonstrates the commitment of the Royal Navy and the NATO alliance to maintaining maritime security which is crucial to our national interests.”
You can read more here.
Got onboard HMS Montrose today ( 13/03/23)in its spiritual home port for the final time , with a wee personal tour and a brew or wet as they call it. Mightily impressed with the 32 yr old workhorse. 👍🏻 Fascinating to see it from the inside especially the blue curtain in the op’s room where the stuff they can’t talk about happens 😉
Shame HM gov can’t find the money to keep it going wee bit longer ……oh aye if only they hadn’t given that few billion quid away to that pointless war.
That said I can say first hand these vessels are a testament to British engineering 👍🏻 The T26 are going to be some bad boy killers .
🇬🇧🏴
Though new designs, it appears to me that the Gorshkovs continue Russia’s maritime bastion / long range strike philosophy, to the extent that keeping well out of the way of NATO warships and coastal regions is paramount. As such, this habit the Russians have developed for parading along our restricted coastline would not serve them well if they ever piss us off.
Even within the context of these routine close escort missions, I’d sooner be the T23 armed with Sea Ceptor than the Gorshkov vessel, assuming that the RN crew remain immediately alert to Russian shoot-before-announce methodology (their only successful stratagem to date). Keeping your potential enemy close is likely to work for us, not them.
It’s been a long deployment for some of those ships.
Standard escort mission when Russian ships are returning home.
Are the ships going back to the northern fleet or Baltic?
The Admiral Kasatonov is a Northern Fleet frigate. Ending its holiday in the Med and going back home to the Arctic.
Well MS,that might be a bit skinny and scary if they’re passing the Baltic states nervous maritime manoeuvrings.🧐but hey,watch this space 🙃.
Checking a map, I doubt that their route to Murmansk goes that way
idiotski
Hi Andy. Yesss, but lets get the front lines built-up first, from the miserly pennies we got to work with.
👍👌.
Should not be coming to UK Russian shipping should not be coming to UK keep them out or trouble
The Admiral Kasatonov succesfuly transited the English Channel, using its modern sensors and highly skilled sailors to avoid being sunk by an inflatable dinghy manned by 18 Albanians, 3 Eritreans and 1 people smuggler. The Russian navy stated in a newly released statement, claimed ” The special military operation of floating about desperately trying not to sink has been succesful and has shown the skill and technical ability of the brave Russian navy in avoided becoming yet another coral reef” end quote!
Can I subscribe to this newsletter? It’s been awhile since I snorted rum out my nose laughing.
More or less correct but believed they left the Med with a tug in tow. Somewhere it came untied and is missing as you can see from the pic. Probably reappear in early April.
With an accompaning walrus firmly asleep on the bow. Where did it get to. 👀.
The tug would be the biggest loss 😂😂
Heh, heh, heh. 👍🤣.
That’s normal routine maybe the tug is already busy on reef prevention duties 😂
Looks like the 23 has some ASM on the front – for a change…
Your eyes must be better than mine.
How’s the fitting of NSM to Somerset going?