The UK Armed Forces are on patrol from the English Channel to the
High North amid increased Russian activity threatening UK waters.
In the past fortnight, Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Severn
intercepted Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya off
the UK coast, in a round-the-clock shadowing operation as the
Russian vessels sailed through the Dover Strait and westward
through the English Channel.
HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off
the coast of Brittany, but continued to observe from a distance
and remained ready to respond to any unexpected activity.
Commander Grant Dalgleish, HMS Severn's Commanding
Officer, said:
This tasking shows the value of our patrol ships and reinforces
the Royal Navy's close liaison with our NATO allies in
safeguarding the British people and protecting the
internationally recognised waterways.
I'm immensely proud of the way the ship's company reacted to this
activation, especially coming so quickly after a demanding period
of regeneration and operational training.
This comes as the UK has seen a 30% increase in Russian vessels
threatening UK waters in the past two years.
On Wednesday, the Defence Secretary confirmed that Russian spy
ship Yantar – used for gathering intelligence and mapping
undersea cables – was operating on the edge of UK waters north of
Scotland. In a clear message to Putin, the Defence Secretary
said: “We see you. We know what you are doing. And we are ready.”
As Yantar lingered in UK's wider waters, its crew directed lasers
at the RAF P-8 pilots tracking it in a reckless and dangerous
act. While tracking Yantar, Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset and
other civilian ships in the area experienced GPS jamming in a
further demonstration of unprofessional behaviour, intended to be
disruptive and a nuisance. HMS Somerset's combat capabilities
were not affected.
The UK has a wide range of military options at its disposal to
keep UK waters safe. Three RAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft have
deployed to Keflavik Air Base in Iceland in the largest overseas
deployment of the RAF P-8 fleet so far.
The P-8s from 120 Squadron are conducting surveillance operations
as part of NATO's collective defence, patrolling for Russian
ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
While in Iceland, RAF crews are working closely with NATO allies
including the US and Canada, reinforcing the UK's NATO-first
approach and commitment to Euro-Atlantic security in this new era
of threat.
These operations reaffirm the UK's unwavering commitment to
national security and protecting critical undersea
infrastructure, underpinning this Government's Plan for Change.
Wing Commander Higgins, Officer Commanding 120 Squadron,
said:
This deployment to Iceland highlights the enduring importance of
the North Atlantic and Arctic to the security of the Alliance.
Operating the P-8A Poseidon, we continue that legacy by
contributing to NATO's collective defence and ensuring the
security of this strategically critical region.
The UK is stepping up on defence and security, backed by the
biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold
War, including £4 billion on boosting our drone capabilities and
over £1 billion on strengthening air and missile defence to
protect the UK homeland.
These latest operations come less than a month after HMS Duncan
tracked the movements of Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov,
and frigate HMS Iron Duke was dispatched to monitor Russian
Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk.
Last month, two advanced RAF surveillance aircraft conducted a
12-hour mission along Russia's border to monitor NATO's eastern
and northern flanks. A Rivet Joint electronic intelligence
aircraft and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, supported by a US
Stratotanker, collectively flew 10,000 miles from the High North,
past Belarus and Ukraine, and into the Black Sea.
Both aircraft use advanced sensors to detect Russian activity and
deliver critical intelligence for analysis.
This increase in UK Armed Forces activity comes alongside new
sanctions. Last week, the Foreign Secretary announced that the
UK, US, and Australia are sanctioning Media Land – a Russian
cyber crime group responsible for facilitating cyber-attacks on
UK-based companies.
