Russian submarine tracked through British waters

A Royal Navy Merlin helicopter and the RFA tanker Tidesurge tracked a Russian Kilo-class submarine through the English Channel during a coordinated three-day operation with NATO partners, the UK Defence Journal understands.

The Ministry of Defence said the operation formed part of the government’s plan to protect UK waters as Russian naval activity around the UK has risen by 30 percent over the past two years.

The submarine Krasnodar, accompanied by the tug Altay, travelled on the surface from the North Sea, through the Strait of Dover and into the Channel despite severe weather.

According to the MoD, the Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron embarked on Tidesurge throughout the mission, ready to shift to anti-submarine operations if the Russian vessel submerged. The ship and aircraft maintained contact until the vessels approached French waters near Ushant, where a NATO ally took over tracking.

Captain James Allen, Commanding Officer of RFA Tidesurge, said “There is nothing like a Russian submarine to focus the mind for any mariner.” He added that the operation relied on “teamwork and professionalism” across Tidesurge’s ship’s company, the embarked Merlin flight and NATO partners, describing it as a “show of presence and deterrence.”

Lieutenant Commander David Emery, Flight Commander of 814 NAS’s Atlantic Flight, said maintaining surveillance was “vital for national security,” praising Tidesurge’s ability to deploy the helicopter “wherever, day or night.”

The Royal Navy routinely monitors Russian naval movements through areas critical to UK security.