As part of a continuing series of operations to monitor Russian vessels of interest near UK waters, HMS Cattistock last week tracked the Russian ‘ocean research’ ship Admiral Vladimirskiy as it travelled west through the English Channel.
The Minehunter and a Wildcat helicopter were deployed to monitor Vladimirskiy during its passage through the Strait of Dover and the English Channel on 21st March. The vessel was initially detected in the southern North Sea and closely followed through congested shipping lanes until it exited the Channel to the west of the Brest peninsula.
On 17 March, the Vladimirskiy departed the Great Belt, exiting the Baltic Sea and is reportedly on her way to the Caribbean region. She has a history of deactivating her Automatic Identification System (AIS), operating close to critical Western infrastructure, showing particular interest in wind farms, undersea cables and pipelines. Her departure from Kronstadt on 30 January 2025 coincided with the launch of NATO’s Operation Baltic Sentry, a mission focused on protecting key infrastructure in the region.
Vladimirskiy is the last survivor of six vessels built in Poland in 1975 to serve the Soviet Union. She has observed NATO exercises in the past, although can be employed on more innocent hydrography and oceanography tasks. She is capable of underwater surveillance missions as well as gathering electronic (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
Shortly after this tasking, Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and RFA Tidesurge were dispatched to escort another Russian landing ship RFS Alexander Otrakovsky and the merchant vessel MV Ascalon as they made their way north through the Channel and into the North Sea. The vessels form the tail end of the ‘Syrian Express’, evacuating military equipment from Syria and heading towards Russian bases Baltic.
These shadowing missions are part of ongoing RN efforts to monitor foreign warship activity in and around UK waters. HMS Somerset was supported by a Merlin helicopter during the escort, ensuring persistent surveillance throughout the transit.
This latest activity comes on the heels of another recent operation where RN units worked alongside RAF P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft to track a Russian naval task group returning from Syria. HMS Somerset alone has been activated three times in the past month to monitor Russian convoys returning from the Mediterranean. The frigate made a short logistics stop in Aberdeen to refuel and resupply before resuming operations.
Shadowing Russian vessels with tankers and minehunters is a pragmatic response to the shortage of warships and presents low risk, however, it provides limited deterrence at a time when it is increasingly important.
Some interesting data on the RAF P-8. six more are required PDQ, and with some teeth!
“The UK’s RAF P-8A Poseidon fleet, comprising nine aircraft, cost approximately £3 billion to procure, including support infrastructure and initial training.”
STING RAY Mod 1
Compare to the openess of the US were actual contract awards are publicised
This for their Nov 2024
Boeing has secured a contract modification valued at $1.68 billion to manufacture and deliver seven Lot 13 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to the U.S. Navy.
Actual ex factory cost for delivery in next few years is around US$240 mill each. Once the RAF has got its Poseidon infrastructure, training systems, weapons etc thats roughly what a new one ‘each year’ would cost.
But under the Byzantine budgeting rules , the RAF would have to ‘give up’ something else to have more P-8.
And the actual yearly cost of the RAF maritime surveillance mission would never be revealed , but should.
But how long before that too isnt enough to maintain the fleet they have as news that the fairly recent RAF Hawk T2 fleet has become barely usable and wont last till 2040. Clearly a slow defunding of the yearly and longer term maintenance/refit costs
The curse of big round numbers in today’s UK political environment.
All about the headlines — the bigger the number must surely mean better.
Asset costs never published — everything is wrapped up with training and maintenance,
Hawk T2 fleet — so bad that the RAF pips are squeaking loud and long.
You have to wonder just how bad things are when it is now so public.
Was the deal some sort of rental arrangement / flying by the hour?
Training as a service deal?
Big disappointment that the Hawk was never replaced.
Market leader at one time and now left behind by about half a dozen aircraft.
Surely light fighters / unmanned second string aircraft must have a future.
We will be very lucky if we buy 100 Tempests if we ever get that far.
From 50 frigates / escorts to 50 fighters in a lifetime — surely not.
When these old crewed minesweepers / minehunters are retired by the RN, which is planned to be “quite soon” ….
…. is this this key naval capability i.e. the ability to shadow a Russian ship through UK home waters….-
…..going to be replaced by one of those new-fangled unmanned MCM-USV’s thingy’s?
Rumour has it that Cattistock has been training with the Gosport Ferry in preparation for her new roll.
Did my comment seriously get deleted
Lot’s of comments disappear from here, on another article 50% of comments were deleted. There are a couple of regulars who actively report comments with the sole aim to get them removed.
We do not remove comments at “the request of regulars” or anyone else. The policy is pretty simple – comments that are personally abusive or complaining about other commenters get deleted. See full moderation policy here
I see many comments removed after certain members say they are reporting them even when It’s those members who initiate the abuse. It certainly appears to me that these members are immune to the rules.
Not entirely true.
Firstly, I fully appreciate that this is an editorial nightmare with trolls of all flavours floating around.
One regular contributor stated he had naval design training – or words to that effect.
I responded asking if he had RINA after his name.
That was removed.
Hardly offensive and very much to the point?
On a previous article, 12 of 24 comments were removed, I really didn’t see any reason why. Especially after I read the rules as the editor suggested.