Royal Navy to get new surveillance base to track Russian shadow fleet vessels

The Royal Navy is planning to create a new surveillance base to track suspect Russian ships using drones and uncrewed vessels.

The Navy has confirmed it is looking at siting the new base in the northeast, but declined to offer any more details.

One likely location being talked about is the current Royal Navy Reserve training Centre, HMS Calliope in Gateshead, which could be re-purposed for this mission.

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The proposal is in the procurement phase, but if successful, it would help the UK monitor Russian-linked shipping at the gateway to the North Sea, before vessels enter the English Channel. 

In recent months, several tankers thought to belong to the shadow fleet have passed through the English Channel without being stopped. 

One option the Royal Navy may be considering is the Rattler, a 7.2-metre-long autonomous vessel that resembles a rigid inflatable boat but is entirely uncrewed. 

In an exercise at the end of last year, the maritime service remotely piloted five Rattlers in a swarm formation around HMS Tyne, with the River-class offshore patrol vessel playing the role of an enemy warship. 

The trial took place off the coast of Scotland, but the Rattlers were controlled from the Navy's specialist technology trials ship, XV Patrick Blackett, based 500 miles away in Portsmouth. 

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "Deterring, disrupting, and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government. 

"To date, we have imposed sanctions on over 500 Russia-related shadow fleet oil tankers and 16 liquefied natural gas tankers, and Russia’s critical oil revenues are down 27% compared to October 2024 – the lowest since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – and we will continue to do so. We will not comment on specific operational planning."

Last month, the Navy and the RAF supported a US boarding team, which detained the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera.