Royal Navy ship HMS Forth tracking Russian vessel through English Channel

HMS Forth is tracking the progress of a Russian patrol ship as it sails through the English Channel.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The ship, which is based in Portsmouth, has just returned to the UK after her first foreign port visit to Gibraltar but has been called upon to shadow the Russian patrol ship Vasily Bykov.

After a logistics stop at Devonport Forth sailed to meet the vessel as it sailed from the North Sea, having taking part in Russia’s Navy Days celebration in St Petersburg.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

HMS Forth’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Samuel Fields, said: ‘It has been a particularly busy time for HMS Forth as we generate for deployed operations and continue to test our ship’s capabilities.

Russians Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Forth is today monitoring the progress of a Russian vessel through the English Channel and Dover Strait.Russians Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Forth is today monitoring the progress of a Russian vessel through the English Channel and Dover Strait.
Russians Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Forth is today monitoring the progress of a Russian vessel through the English Channel and Dover Strait.

‘I am proud of the ship’s company for rising to this additional challenge.’

It is not the first time Forth has been called upon to shadow the Russian ship.

In June she sailed from Liverpool to meet Vasily Bykov as she neared UK waters. It came only a week after HMS Forth was officially welcomed to the Royal Navy fleet after completing her operational sea training for the first time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

HMS Forth will now prepare for her upcoming deployment to the Falkland Islands later this year where she will replace HMS Clyde as the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel.

Until then she may be called upon at any time to help prevent arms trafficking, people smuggling, conduct counter-terrorism operations, maritime search and rescue, or monitoring duties.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.