HMS Iron Duke and RFA Tideforce escorted the new Russian frigate RFS Admiral Golovko and supporting ships passing westward through the English Channel today.
RFS Admiral Golovko and the tanker Vyazma sailed from their Northern Fleet base at Severomorsk on 1st November for what the Russians say will be a global deployment. She conducted exercises in the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas before heading west through the Channel.
The Golovko is the third of the Admiral Gorshkov-class and is the Russian Navy’s newest warship, commissioned in the presence of Vladimir Putin in December 2023. This class is equipped with 16 VLS cells that can carry the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. The combat effectiveness of this weapon is difficult to quantify, Russia has launched small numbers against targets in Ukraine but there have been claims that a few have been intercepted in the terminal phase.
The lead ship of the class conducted what was an unusual out-of-area deployment to Cuba earlier in the year, largely for defence diplomacy purposes. However, the Gorshkov was accompanied by the highly capable SSGN, RFS Kazan, which represented a much more serious threat.
Monitoring Russian warships is a routine task for the RN that has been carried out since the start of the Cold War in the 1950s and is no cause for alarm. Russian warship have right of innocent passage through the English Channel and such transits are not normally considered any indication of a raised threat to the UK.
The passage of Russian vessels is usually known well in advance and the progress of the ships can sometimes tracked by amateur OSINT enthusiasts using the AIS signals from support vessels. NATO can call on a large intelligence network for forewarning and the naval units involved are co-ordinated by Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) based in Northwood (North London). Typically, the French or Dutch Navy will hand over to the RN as the Russians leave their areas of interest.
Once engaged in monitoring a Russian warship or vessel of interest, the NATO vessel maintains a safe distance and but may circle occasionally and record electronic emissions and gather imagery with powerful electro-optical cameras. Electronic (ELINT) and Signals (SIGINT) intelligence gathered during routine transits is unlikely to reveal much that is not already known. However, establishing the pattern of habitual operating behaviour helps build a picture and will help quickly spot any departure from the norm. Radio communications with the Russian sailors are usually described as diplomatic, cordial and professional.
HMS Iron Duke looks like something from the early 20th Century – the Russians must have been impressed!
You really think it looks like it’s from the First World War?
👍
compared to the Russian ship ? YES
If you really think a T23 resembles a pre-dreadnaught battleship then you need to take a trip to SpecSavers…
As for impressing… pretty much the entire Russian Navy is from the 20th century. Whereas the T45s and QE carriers are all 21C vessels.
By the lines of the Duke, it looks like it’s fresh from Trafalgar. Royal Navy today is Just a buch of floating medieval rust-buckets.
Well said mate
Fresh and floating spring to mind.
Bottom ship is the Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaidachny.
Its difficult to find a Russian one still afloat! Best I could do I’m afraid.
To be fair..the Ukrainian frigate was Russian at one point….
Ah yes, the tumble home and painted gunports well known in the modern Navy.
Are you and your friends bots?
They might just be multi account posters…. This site does seem to attract them…. If you know what I mean !
What you know about the modern Royal Navy would fit neatly on an ant’s ball….and learn how to spell ‘ Lothbrok’
At least Russia can put ships to sea , U.K. navy has had one destroyer and 2 frigates at sea for ages . Hunter killer subs nearly a year all tied up at dock . It’s pathetic . That Russian frigate had more leathal fire power on it than the hole of the Royal Navy , even now only one frigate fitted with a lightweight Naval strike with a piss poor range
You simply do not know anything about warfare. Go back to school.
Yeah , I know there is nothing on a type 23 to bother that Russian frigate and no subs where at sea to bother it , but we could try hit it with a pavway bomb since we have no anti ship missiles
Then of course Ragnar or whoever you are the Putin navy has such excellent sea-going examples as the Admiral Kutnetzof. The aircraft carrier that’s been unfit to sail for about 13 years and with such well-trained sailors that they blew the sharp end of one of their SSN’S by mishandling a rocket- propelled torpedo. Yep the Russian navy is certainly a threat but only to itself.
Well said
At least it has an excuse it’s very old , look at the U.K. carriers . National embarrassment
If the RN is medieval then the majority of the Russian navy is prehistoric…
Boring Ragnar is boring…
Actually the Type 23s still look purposeful and they (with NSMs) are good all-rounders for their age.
Bit they don’t have NSM tho so they ? Only one does , also NSM is a very poor range anti ship missile , it would have been better put on a plane
They must have, it’s still afloat and not polluting the environment either.
Moskva
Admiral Kuznetsov
Good reply as always Nigel.
Polluting the environment. 😂
heard it all.
The Russian flagship, Admiral Kuznetsov, the only warship ever built to always lay down a smoke screen when under way…
lol👍
The kuznetsov, is fair enough, but if you find yourself enjoying the sight of burning ships (which had sailors in them), regardless of nationality, you need to have a word with yourself.
Whether or not you see a necessity for it, you sure as hell shouldn’t be enjoying it.
Should have sunk it!
True words here
Yes, can’t think why we didn’t…. how strange.
Russia can obliterate the UK is less than one hour.
Yes… I’ve seen just how quickly they have eliminated the Ukraine…. (deary me George)
I mean, George isn’t wrong, and it’d be stupid to disregard Russia’s very real ability to annihilate the UK with its nuclear arsenal. The part that George leaves out is the retribution that would be returned by Trident, the French and the Americans.
Haha,to right!
I wonder why Ukraine are taking so long with Russia? 1,400 dead or wounded per day including NK troops at the moment. Has Russia run out of men already??
“Russia has lost more than 700,000 troops since the beginning of its war more than two and a half years ago. They added 9,233 tanks, 20,226 artillery systems and 329 helicopters have been destroyed.”
Seems to be going very well don’t you think!
The Poisedon nuclear Torpedo will remove the U.K. from Jane’s Fighting Ships
Then the US would respond Grikory with something like a 4 or 5 to 1 nuclear advantage and certainly the advantage in unstoppable delivery platforms. Never mind though as the Trump Presidency will set about bankrupting Russia again as soon as he is sworn in, correct? In 4 years there will be no Ukraine war and a substantially degraded Putin military. So who wins, certainly not Russia?
Nuclear treaty called new START from 2010 still in force (plus earlier similar) says parity
‘The treaty limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each party to 1,550″
UK has also downgraded its ‘deployed warheads’ as NL readers will know its missile boats dont have all the Trident silos ‘loaded’ ( each with multiple warheads)
Russia has such a history of success with their torpedoes… Kursk.
Those numbers are bollocks. If anyone is stupid enough to believe that I have several bridges to sell you in London.
The same time or less for US to obliterate Russia!!!
The U.K. can obliterate Russia even faster – ICBMs fired west to east are helped by the earths spin.
Hello . New Start signed in 2010 gives US and Russia 1500 or so warheads EACH
Im sure you know the earths spin doesnt mean the war head arrives quicker – your thinking forgets that once in the atmosphere the target is ‘moving closer’ just as fast! It all balances out in reality
Yes, as the Earth rotates towards the West it essentially moves the target that is to the west slightly closer while the missile is out of the atmosphere.
So if you fired straight up you would end up slightly further west than you were before.
Russia can obliterate the UK in an hour and NATO as a whole can obliterate Russia China and north korea in a day so your point is
Russia can obliterate the UK in an hour, and do NATO and the US at the same time. Hitting back with a retaliatory strike isn’t going to make much difference it you’re already obliterated. Russian has as many nuclear warheads as the US, france and UK combined. 5889 vs 5759.
https://www.icanw.org/nuclear_arsenals
Eyes roll…like it has the Ukraine?
Yes ” george” Russia is very good at obliterating foreign countries. Just ask Ukraine . And ask someone to explain MAD to you.
It is OK – nothing urgent – we just wait for a smoking accident…
Just one poseidon torpedo could destroy your little island
Ermmm, yes, I’m sure you are correct………………….. all 1000 miles of it. (deary me again).
He’s likely 12 in a cold water flat in some filthy mining town, or worse, near the watershed of the historically clean and safe nuclear waste dumps east of the urals.
Well, are we a prize worth the complete annihilation of the Russian state? If not, your threat is moot, and if we are, then the Russian propagandists need to yapping about us being a ‘little island’. Make your mind up.
Are you really so retarded or are you just pretending?
No, I think he really is retarded.
Yep, he’s definitely a cruiser short of a black sea fleet.
Why the hell are we bowing down to Russian ships when they could be dropping things in the sea or mini subs. Or jamming gps or other things. Soon as they get out of Ukraine. Uk to soft as usual. 😡
It’s not the obvious transits through the channel..it’s what we don’t see . The new Russian boats have a purpose about them .All weapons on board are ready to FIGHT ! OTHER vessels ..if us laymen ( & women ) can see our defence.. deficiencies.then IAM sure our adversaries can as well . .it just looks nice as HMS Glasgow floats from 1 berth to another ..The yanks got it spot on when they were invited aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.? ..the apparently said & I am paraphrasing here …THEY SAID Of our Nederland long range SMART radar . That we can even see when & who will destroy our aircraft carrier !! I hate the way our Navy is being short changed …but at least there is no hot bunking anymore . A shitty old Indian ex- soviet carrier can at least fire decent big elastic bands ..To protect herself & whack a few shipwreck / sunburn / onyx down range at our Type 45 UK aluminium vessels . We don’t even carry that many AAW. per boat . & would be depleted ASAP in a serious exchange ? All we are good at is throwing Tomahawks from Subsea. at 3 rd Rate nations ..I fear our Type 26 /31 are already too little ..far too late . ?? NSM is only a footprint on our most UP to date T23 ! Potentially a new missile on an old boat ! & Then old missile tech .on our New boats. ..what a joke !! Bring back Ikara ! & Sub Harpoon with 2 KT warheads ..thats how a fleet is protected people
Hello, I’m working with Ukrainian people, I calling them friends! One is a General, base been attacked . Another is my Friend, …
People are dying
Think smart!
Ps. I’m from Latvia btw we’re living in England 4 now.. I’m served my time;) aswell
If the Russian ship doesn’t have a torpedo malfunction and the crew are well trained she should be able to defend herself against the old Duke… Maybe
So exactly which part of the T45 do you think is made of aluminium?
I think he is getting confused with T21!
A lot if people said T42 had a aluminium superstructure which also wasn’t true!
Sorry, we use English here, not the gobbledegook you seem to be conversing in… Maybe try Google Translate instead of your Russian knock-off?
Spot on
Our carriers basic air defence. No AEW. And look what happens when fleets come up against significant missile threats. Just takes 1 leaker. Just 1. In the age of hypersonic misdiles it’s again the attacker who has the advantage we have not had a major exchange against a capable state actor since the Falklands and even sharkey ward said it was near close.
We get all these flag wavers thinking the Russians are spent. They are far from it. And we really thinking they last double whst the US or the UK lost in Ww2 from a nation that is begging for a handful of tanks and jets Yeah right. We had left with tails between our legs in Afghan. Iraq no better. Yet if the Russians are as we exoect to believe lost 700k we will bottle it.
Did you read the part where it said that it’s been routine for over half a century? Why are we “bowing down”?
International law of the sea, UNCLOS, provides for the right of innocent passage through territorial waters and designated sea lanes such as the Dover Straits and English Channel. That is what the UK, USA , Australia and Japan are enforcing against China in the East China Sea.
Law works both ways.
Russia is and will win in Ukraine. The UK is completely clapped out.
So true…… lol. Nice bit of contribution you are providing here today.
See the Russian bots are out in force talking sh1t as always
The fact you seem to be a Russian supporter shows you lack the very basics we civilized people have such as murals and values you know the things your Russian masters never had and clearly you don’t have either
You seem happy that your masters in Russia are happily destroying another country for absolutely no reason as well as murdering and raping it’s citizens
Words I like to describe you Russian bots sadly I cannot say the anti free speech brigade won’t like it but I can say you one sick mofo
No Russian Bots mate….. just people using the flawed site features that allow multiple random and private member access to post anonymous random stuff…… It’s the same on many other sites…….. I try to help but only seem to get banned for trying !
There are a fair few “Sick Mofo’s” on here truth be known…..
Against most forum rules to hold multiple accounts, for good reason.
BS mate…. All these places have multiple account posters, trust me, I know.
Jesus George you have seen how the Russians lose men they don’t have d a clue about modern warfare they waste men
They had Zelensky in their grasp and the leader that he is turned it on the
Russian army on its tail and it ran turned on its officers killed them .
The Russians need an out otherwise it’s more meat into the grinder for the Russians and NK
That will happen. We pulled the plug on s Vietnam Afghan Iraq. Used to beating. Wait till the Chinese hand it to us on a plate
and yet even before the war and the economic sanctions, both the UK’s GDP and its living-standards far outstrip those of Russia…
Imagine only 3 of these in a contest with our shit Fleet Protection .ANSWER ? Let’s build a multi billion pounds SMALL fleet of highly advanced Artisan 3D RADAR equipped boats with plenty of space for RIBS in case we need to stop the pirates & the coke dealers ( that the elites sniff btw) Don’t bother actually designing 8 multi purpose FIGHTING boats …you know …to fight other advanced ships Oh ! Don’t worry the 2 type 45 will protect..the 3 type 23 while a noisy Trafalgar will be used as a decoy to protect our 1 at sea Astute ? My WW2 Naval papa ..would laugh at this ..over priced …over budget ..drawn out keel to commission delays .We got rid of exocet . Cos. We got butt hurt in the Falklands..& so We moved to Harpoon ..cos. the yanks helped us ..WTF ! I Could design a better fleet myself ..The french & Italian Navy would put us away ! Quick style . All these forums on UK Naval assets is very worrying. As they don’t live in the Naval threat domain ..I used to feel safe when the yanks sallied up the Clyde with Their USS Francis Scott Key et al . A kilo class could spend all day fishing in the Clyde & what’s to stop them ??
Boring
Take your meds before you get on the internet pal, saves the rest of being subjected to this sort of nonsensical drivel.
Flipping heck, That’s some rant !
My man, is ‘because’ really worth shortening to ‘cos’? If you people to listen, improve your formatting, otherwise potential respondents have to spend ages deciphering your answer.
Still gibberish, you should demand a refund from whoever “English as a Second Language” course you attended. Throwing random English words onto a page in a random order, with random punctuation, and no grammar, doesn’t mean you can write English.
Our UK ship looks ancient compared to the ruskies ship. Fair play to russia!!!
So you actually think a 40 year old design is aesthetically ancient to a brand new one ?
Ha ha.
Fair play to the Russians I am assuming we are talking about the same Russians who got their a$$ kicked in the black sea by remote controlled jetskis with explosives
And the QE class carriers make the Admiral Kuznetsov look anti-deluvian!
These comments !…. just wait till the resident “experts” turn up and spoil the fun…. Seriously though, what a handsome looking Dud this ship probably is.
Just a minor point but there is no such missile as the Tircon…. It’s either a Zircon or a Tsircon.
All
This is one straight out of the old Soviet playbook….
It was always a very big mistake to under-estimate Russian naval architects (note 1).
This particular ship was the lead ship in its class; and thus it is now quite-elderly (note 2)
However what the Russian Navy was always very good at was learning from batch 1:then upgrading their designs so they could be used on their batch 2 and batch 3 ships.
Those later ships would be built in much bigger numvers and always have a much better set of sensors and weapons etc (i.e. than their batch 1 was initially fitted with….)
Accordingly the one to definitely watch out for – so coming next – is those ships of this class which are still on he slipways today = because they will definitely have a much-better set of weapons and sensors than this old gent recently seen in La Manche ….
Peter (Irate Taxpayer)
Note 1. and, more recently, the mistake of under-estimating Chinese naval architects…
Note 2. However nothing like as elderley as our own Type 23’s
Ah, China…. Just what do we know about China ? They build some cracking stuff… the PLAN is now the largest navy in the World, not to mention their Army….. just seen the latest pics of their F35…. it’s such a great copy… but they have upgraded theirs with two engines….. MG, has some amazing cars now, just like Benelli has some amazing bikes… Reckon the resident motorcyclist “Duke R” will be able to copy and paste some pretty amazing info in a bit…. Volvo are kicking bottoms and BYD are going great guns…. And it’s all because we all buy their stuff. Anyone smelling the coffee here ?
Where’s the Zookeeper gone, I’m sure he was on here for a while, shame he seems to have disappeared.
Barry from Barrow
Now then…… staying on the subject of Chinese-made electric cars….
……..you appear to be unfamilar with this very recent news story
So, here we have it from the horse’s mouth …. the recent comment made by the boss of the US of A’s giant carmaker, the Ford Motor Corporation:
“I don’t want to give it up”: Ford CEO drives Chinese EV for six months
Remind me…….: was not it a certain Mr Henry Ford who gave rise to the great US manufacturing boom of the 20th century: an economic miracle which occured very soon after he had perfected the mass production of his horseless carriage?
Thus China’s Navy may have got to where it is today by copying us :
………but what happens next year may be a “somewhat-different” matter…
Peter (Irate Taxpayer)
PS you now need to go out and read the history of the sale to Russia – by the utterly pennyless Uk government – of the Rolls Royce Nene jet engine in 1947….
…..because. just.three years later,
…..the new Mig 15 jet fighter – powered by the now upgraded Nene engine – gave the US of A and allies a very very nasty shock during the (last) Korean War….
PPS somebody else on NL was very rude to the W.I.Zookeeper about a month ago = so I strongly supect he may be sulking
PPPS I also suggest you invest in a stockplie of your favourite ground coffee beans = because they will soon be going up vastly in price i.e. after a very poor harvest. You really do need to keep sniffing them…..
Yes, yes, I know all that….. I was merely being sarcastic with a side of Realism….. Such a shame the Zoo Keeper is sulking, He was just so popular and everyone really liked him……
Coffee is for Vegans, I much prefer Tequila (with the worm) in the mornings.
I do hope X, Zoo man and all the other handles he went by….. comes back soon…. this place is falling apart and so needing his expert inputs.
It appears so!😂
You certainly know your Beans Nige !
LOL, dont believe their propaganda
The ‘newest’ PLA fighter J-35 aka FC-31 is just a major updated copy of the Russian Mig 29K naval fighter. They got their pattern aircraft from Ukraine ( ex Soviet Naval aviation) and NK flies the land based Mig 29
Just as the Y-20 transport is an updated clone of the IL-76
This JF-17 version shows much changes they did on the venerable Mig 21 to make it ‘look vaguely F16ish. Still a Mig 21 basics underneath. Grumman helped to convert from nose to the side intakes on the predecessor J-7
https://www.twz.com/40396/the-u-s-once-helped-china-develop-a-modern-jet-fighter
👍
You’re welcome.
I was fishing out of Dover yesterday the two Russian boats went right in front of us.
Fishing or Trolling ?
Doh…. I meant Trawling lol…. not that it makes any difference though !!!! you do post some fishy stuff, have you been here long ? There seems to be something familiar about you…..
Don’t mug me off it’s the first time I’ve been on this site. Me pal sent me it after I sent him the video of the frigate
Ha….. Love it.
Fishing mate was on a charter
Great story…. I love a good fisherman’s tale….. How big was it ?
The Zircon is NOT at hypersonic speeds at the point of impact. This it’s not a hypersonic missile.
If you wish to argue that point, See Habitual Line Crosser on YouTube. He is a real life expert and teaches in the US Military on the subject
Ah ha ha ha….. An expert on Youtube ehh ?
I read the Labour government is saying it isn’t going to get our defence spend up to 2.5% by 2030 if at all. This is unacceptable in the circumstances we face right now. We can do a lot better if people are told the danger, we face and why we need to rearm.
Interesting set of facts and opions, being new to the discussion and not being armed with to many facts can some help as to the true threat of china’s Navy? I always thought most of their navy was not blue water capable, ergo very useful as long as the enemy doesn’t travel more than missile range from shore?
What’s are “opions” ? and have you even looked at the PLAN build programme ? Only a blind person wouldn’t see just how much progress the Chinese are making…… Oh Stevie, you do make me wonder !
Stevie W
China has been steadily building up, and is now running, a large naval fleet.
It is now one that is fully-optiminised for achieving its own medium-term strategic and political requirements.
Thus, as of today, China’s Navy has
Thus China’s naval and air fleet is mostly optimsed for a long blockade of Taiwan
Overall, strategically, Taiwan is now in the very same position that the UK found itself in betwen May 1940 until 10th Dec 1941 = i.e. It is now facing an enemy which completely dominates a very long coastline (just off its shores) and it is an island nation that is totally reliant on international trading to survive.
Nazi Germany was, thoughout 1941, trying to starve the UK into submssion….and, as is so common, history tends to repeat itself..
The majority of China’s new fleet is optimised for one thing: seizing Taiwan by a long-term blockade
It does not need a blue water navy to seize Taiwan
However – big BUT – we and many others may well need a the detterent of a big Blue Water Navy to stop it seizing Taiwan
Peter (Irate Taxpayer)
Interesting set of facts and opions, being new to the discussion and not being armed with to many facts can some help as to the true threat of china’s Navy? I always thought most of their navy was not blue water capable, ergo very useful as long as the enemy doesn’t travel more than missile range from shore
They have a blue water naval base in Cambodia and another in Djibouti on the Red Sea entrance
AI says …China is also considering building “military” bases ( not just naval) in other locations, including:
Burma, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and The UAE”
Interesting, basically just using the silk road initiative to get a bases in strategic locations.
The iron Duke iwas Launched on the 2nd Match. 1991 so it is a 20th century vessel Although it was Refitted in 2019.
Those first matches are just so unreliable…..
The Chinese are making so much progress ,that All their military bases are sinking that’s mother nature getting rid of the weakest . You can’t build man made military islands in the sea, they just wash away or sink. One wrong move and china go back to the horse and cart.
Does anyone else need approval for to post comments?
Ok fellow servicemen from all countries….Let’s get REAL ! This isn’t rattling sabers or purposeful intimidation. When we talk about nuking each other..NONE of us will be left. And those who might be able to make it through, will be cast into a world who will curse those who thought nukes were a great idea. So if we are truly smart..let’s work on getting along. And fight to never go there ! I’m not into suicide. Are you ?
Bring it on then…. This world is pretty shite for the vast majority of us.
First time visit to thiswebsite – enjoying the badinage!