Russian task group
 

Sky reports with footage of a Russian task group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov off the east coast of Scotland, navy scrambles a warship to have a look, now where did we put those MPAs?

See this Russian release of yesterday

Russia

"Two ships of Russia’s Northern navy – the aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” and the submarine chaser “Admiral Chabanenko” are making a hard but successful journey in the northeast of the Atlantic Ocean. At present, the crews are getting ready for practicing launches from the carrier’s flight deck."

Now wheres those Sea Harriers...

MUHAHAHA......:(

or even a Sea Eagle fitted Tornado would do
Oh Shucks we scrapped them as well...


PS apparently the two are headed for the Eastern Mediterranean
Any guns left at Gib?

We'll pick them up with the Nimrods in Malta and then track them with our Cyprus based assets.

slightly serious question: how difficult would it be to plumb/integrate Harpoon (i know we used to have some for the SSN's...) into Tornado GR4?

failing that, what kind of range would an off the shelf AGM-65 Maverick have if popped at 40,000ft?

Alternatively, it could read 'Russia deploys barely functional decades old aircraft carrier for first time in many years, making the 2nd or 3rd out of area deployment in her history since being laid down in the early 1980s'.

Struggling to see why some people are getting so excited - Russia is not an enemy and freedom of navigation is something we're rather keen on. Add to that the fact that we're keeping a polite eye on her, and I struggle to see the issue here?

Maybe, like HMS Ocean, instead of 7 weeks hanging around Med holiday spots they're off for 7 months down to somewhere much hotter. Fancy a trip to the Straits of Hormuz, Ivan Ivanovitch? Little Quoin Island used to be lovely this time of year, and I"m sure the curry on the appositely-named Goat Island is as good as it ever was.

Anyway, best of luck to anyone who's planning to hold on to their lunch off the east coast of Scotland over the next couple of days.

Current conditions should certainly test the seaworthiness of the ships in question.....

Might be hard work in the Russian navy but they sure eat well.

"The cooks on “Admiral Kuznetsov” have to work day and night, for the sailors have nighttime watches as well as daytime ones. In total, the whole crew eats about 10,000 tons of food a day, which can be compared with the daily ration of the population of a medium-sized village".

"Russia is not an enemy"
No, of course not.
They're certainly not friends....

Haven't they booked Stornaway as a div...?

" In total, the whole crew eats about 10,000 tons of food a day, which can be compared with the daily ration of the population of a medium-sized village". "






That would be a few tons each per day, which seems unlikely, even if you double duff!


Whoops!

jamesdevice

I, and my Crew and Passengers, certainly found the Russians extremely hospitable and forthcoming when we visited Moscow in 1989.

Have you been there yourself?

PS My Passengers were the RAF Staff College Course!!!

"Have you been there yourself?"
Actually yes. And a few places further east.

But thats irrelevant and so is your hospitality statement.
All the Iraqis I met in "business" were all incredibly charming and hospitable. Didn't stop them from being Ba'athists.

PS - 1989 was a long time ago. Things change

jamesdevice

I see where you are trying to come from.

It is not what they believe - nor what we believe. It is purely what you believe we should believe.

Mates, normally we have enough hospitality.
Normally...

Who needs MPA when you've got Sky?

Cazatou

I don't think you do understand me
Under Putin, Russia is re-inventing /revisiting both its imperial and communist pasts, and is rewriting history to celebrate those periods as "heroic" eras.
We had a few years after the fall of the Soviet Union where the military was stood down through lack of cash, while all the money they had was needed for economic survival. Now under Putin you have the beginnings of a military resurgence while we in the west progressively disarm through cost saving measures. The west is having to make the kind of cuts that Russia did 20 years ago.
They are now emerging from that military hiatus. More intrusive flights, more naval expeditions. They have global territorial objectives again, and these excursions are part of their rebuilding their skill set
We should be treating them as latent enemies and giving them every much a rough time as we would have done thirty years ago.

Scheduled for port visits in Spain, France, Malta and Cyprus.

Warship & Navy Port Visits | SeaWaves Books

HMS York with the RFS Kuznetsov

http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content...2/16129697.jpg

Russia Sends Ship To Syria As Show Of Support For Assad Regime As It Faces UN Pressure | World News | Sky News

The Baltic Fleet Frigate Yaroslav Mudry is scheduled to join up with the Kuznetsov group.

Russian task force goes on mission in Atlantic, Mediterranean | World | RIA Novosti

The Black Sea Fleet Frigate Ladny entered the Mediterranean last week.

Russia Dispatches BSF Frigate Ladny to Mediterranean Sea >> Naval Today