Royal Navy tracks Russian submarine as Nato Secretary General visits Berlin
The Royal Navy has tracked a Russian submarine through the English Channel as the Nato Secretary General warned that conflict is at our door during a visit to Germany.
A specialist Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron and RFA tanker Tidesurge followed the Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar and her accompanying tug boat Altay as the pair sailed westward from the North Sea into the English Channel.
It comes as the UK government claims that it has seen a 30% increase in Moscow's vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years.
We are Russia's next target, Nato chief says
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said that member nations must improve their defence efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured" during a speech in Berlin.
"We are Russia's next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don't feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now," Mr Rutte said.
"Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared," he added.
The former prime minister of the Netherlands said that the Kremlin could be ready to use military force against Nato within five years at the 'MSC in Berlin' event, which was organised by the Munich Security Conference.
UK prepared to pivot to anti-submarine operations
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose's Merlin helicopter stayed grounded on RFA Tidesurge during the operation; however, the expert aircrew were prepared to change to anti-submarine operations if Krasnodar dived beneath the water.
The Russian submarine sailed on the surface through the Channel, despite Storm Bram hitting the UK.
"There is nothing like a Russian submarine to focus the mind for any mariner," Captain James Allen, RFA Tidesurge's Commanding Officer, said.
"We worked together as a show of presence and deterrence as we transited from the North Sea to the English Channel."
The Royal Navy continued to trace Krasnodar and Altay until the Russians reached the northwest of France, near the island of Ushant, before handing over the shadowing task to an undisclosed Nato ally.
"Maintaining an overt presence and continued overwatch of Russian vessels in UK waters is vital for national security," Lieutenant Commander David Emergy, 814 Naval Air Squadron's Atlantic Flight Flight Commander, said.
"The flexibility and professionalism of the crew of RFA Tidesurge allows us to project our helicopter wherever, day or night, in the maritime environment."
Earlier in the month, the UK and Norway signed a major defence agreement, the Lunna House Agreement, that will see them operate together to counter Russian undersea threats.
Following the announcement of the deal between London and Oslo, the Prime Minister told BFBS Forces News that the UK will do "whatever is necessary to keep the country safe" in the face of intensified threats from Russia.
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