Royal Navy: Portsmouth-based UK warship tracks Russian submarine through English Channel on NATO operation

A Portsmouth-based UK warship has tracked a Russian submarine in the Channel as part of a NATO mission.

The HMS Tyne was deployed as part of a wider NATO operation to shadow Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar as it made its surfaced journey back to Russia from the eastern Mediterranean.

On May 6, Royal Navy warships and aircraft also shadowed a Russian task group in the English Channel in a concentrated operation.

The Royal Navy said HMS Tyne, a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron and RFA Tideforce reported on every move of landing ships, RFS Boikiy and three merchant vessels including Baltic Leader, Patria and Cebepa.

The group of four Russian vessels sailed through the English Channel as they sailed towards a Russian Baltic port.

Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “The Royal Navy has once again demonstrated its readiness to secure UK waters and protect the public. National security is a foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and we are giving our Armed Forces what they need to keep us secure at home and strong abroad.”

Lieutenant Bailey Denyer, HMS Tyne’s Operations Officer, said: “Activations like the one we’ve seen on this patrol to track Krasnodar are our bread and butter – defending UK sovereignty and that of our NATO allies is at the very heart of what the Royal Navy does.”

HMS Tyne recently returned to sea following maintenance and took her place alongside her sister ships, HMS Mersey and Severn, at the forefront of operations protecting UK waters.

The patrol vessel intercepted Krasnodar on entry to the English Channel near the French coast, reporting on every move as it made its eastward journey before handing over duties to allies as the submarine left UK waters.

Earlier in its journey, Krasnodar was tracked by a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter of 815 Naval Air Squadron deployed with the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) in the Atlantic.

Once responsibility for Krasnodar had been handed over, HMS Tyne was quickly back on new tasking to shadow Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette Boikiy as it headed westward from the Baltic Sea, through the busy Dover Strait.

Tyne and 815 Naval Air Squadron later monitored the corvette’s return journey to the Baltic alongside three merchant ships.

The UK’s CSG is led by flagship HMS Prince of Wales and is currently operating alongside allies and partners in the Mediterranean before continuing to the Indo Pacific.