https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/r...onar-dctz96xj5
Russian submarine collides with British warship’s sonar
A Russian submarine collided with a British warship’s sonar during a cat-and-mouse game in the North Atlantic, forcing the Royal Navy to abort its mission.
Television footage captures the moment crew onboard HMS Northumberland sound the alarm, shouting “what the hell was that”, “****”, “what the f*** have I just hit” as the boat crashes into its towed array sonar.
Towed array sonar uses hundreds of microphones attached to a cable, trailing behind a submarine, or in this particular case, a Type 23 frigate. The technology is designed to detect and track quiet submarines and is positioned hundreds of metres away from the ship.
HMS Northumberland was on a 48-hour hunt to find the Russian submarine in late 2020 amid concerns it could try and tap into undersea cables essential for communication and the internet.
It is believed to be the first time such an incident has been documented and made public.
Channel 5 documented the mission for its series
Warship: Life At Sea, during which the crew launched a Merlin helicopter to try and find the submarine.
The footage shows the moment they spot what is believed to be a Russian submarine appearing above the surface of the water, an extremely rare event. Its periscope and a communication mast can be seen above the water level.
At one point during the mission Commander Thom Hobbs, the warship’s captain, says: “We are very close to the submarine — we are probably parallel. If they were on the surface we would definitely see faces.”
Shortly afterwards the Russian submarine appears to turn sharply in what is described by those onboard as an “aggressive move” and collides with the towed array sonar, which is the diameter of a fist.
At the time, it is believed the Russian submarine knew that HMS Northumberland was there.
Navy sources told
The Times that finding the towed array sonar in the sea would have been like finding a “needle in a haystack” and said the collision must have been an accident.
The sonar, which was recovered in its entirety, was damaged to such an extent that the ship had to return to port and the sonar had to be replaced. The towed array sonar is believed to cost about £20million.
Navy sources believe the Russian submarine would also have likely been damaged in the incident.
Commander Ryan Ramsey, a former naval officer who was captain of hunter killer submarine HMS Turbulent, said that the collision was almost certainly accidental.
He said the interaction “shows the complexity and risk involved with the art of anti-submarine warfare”. He added: “What can start as in control can rapidly escalate, particularly against a capable adversary such as the Russian submarine force.”
Ramsey added that the Russian submarine would have probably been a Sierra, Akula or Yasen attack submarine, as these operate at the same depth as the frigate’s towed array.
Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy Commander who drove anti-submarine warfare frigate HMS St Albans, said: “The Russian threat to our undersea communications is real, on our doorstep and ever increasing. It’s hard to overstate the effect a major disruption of it would cause. Detecting and deterring Russian submarines that are doing this is a team effort that involves allies, aircraft, ships, submarines and sensors.”
He added: “Ship and submarine detection is not the exact science depicted in the movies. In other words, this could have been an accident — a close pass gone wrong. It could also have been deliberate.”
Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the incident, saying: “In late 2020 a Russian submarine being tracked by HMS Northumberland came into contact with her towed array sonar. The Royal Navy regularly tracks foreign ships and submarines in order to ensure the defence of the United Kingdom.”
Warship: Life At Sea continues Monday at 9pm on Channel 5.