Posted on 12/14/2011 8:44:49 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Destroyer keeps watch on Russian carrier
14 December 2011 |
Royal Navy destroyer has rushed to intercept a flotilla of Russian ships off Scotland in a return to Cold War tensions.
The battlegroup, headed by aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, is understood to have sought shelter from a storm in the Firth of Moray.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is en route to Syria, in a show of Russian support for the country’s under-fire regime. Along with destroyer escort she has diverted toward the Scottish coast, apparently to take shelter from North Sea storms.
At 65,000 tons the Admiral Kuznetsov is roughly the size of Britain’s long awaited new carriers. Built at the height of the Cold War, she is armed with Sukhoy SU 33 fast jets, KA-27 anti submarine warfare helicopters and Granit - NATO designation “Shipwreck” anti ship missiles.
There is one major difference from cold war times: back then a Nimrod would have been used to keep a watchful eye on the visitors. Even so, defence has managed to keep close enough tabs on the fleet to send HMS York all the way from Portsmouth to escort the ships.
So far the biggest row caused by the stopover is about dumping waste overboard. Even if this visit is down to the weather, state radio service the Voice of Russia rather ominously warns of imminent flight trials of the carrier’s air group.
Scare: HMS York keeps watch as the Admiral Kuznetsov anchors just outside British waters off the coast at Moray Firth, Scotland, on Monday
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073901/HMS-York-scrambled-Scotland-Russian-fleet-security-scare.html#ixzz1gWm0f8xm
A carrier battle fleet is going to include attack subs, a destroyer screen, and etc. and all the Brits have to show the flag in their home waters is ONE destroyer?
Only a nimrod would have let those aircraft go out of service.
Somwehow I don’t think snapping ones fingers at this foe
would work so well.
What an insult, dumping trash in the Moray Firth!
read later
And they are damned lucky they could scrape up that one: No Royal Navy warships left to guard Britain.
If there is a silver lining to come out of this cloud, it might be that Britain just had their doorbell rung for a very rude wake-up call.
5.56mm
The British are deploying their new LP33 Record Thrower. It flings copies of the old beatles albums. They’ve got millions of them.
The British are deploying their new LP33 Record Thrower. It flings copies of the old beatles albums. They’ve got millions of them.
yeah, yeah, yeah...
It doesn’t look like much of a flotilla — With all the hassles going on in Syria the Russians may want to delay their support for the dictator. Nice to see the UK can at least send a respectable escort for the visiting Ships.
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It doesn’t say much about the Russian Navy if has to seek shelter from a North Sea storm. It is indeed rough water, but a true blue water Navy makes way in hurricanes. Evidently the Russian Navy doesn’t.
You could score a deuce with the white album.
The soviet navy, was configured as coastal defense only (originally :)
The soviet navy, was configured as coastal defense only (originally :)
A coastal defense force with carriers? That doesn’t make sense. If that were the case aircraft would be launched from land bases. There would be no need for carriers.
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