Navy shadows Russian warship off Moray coast
 

From the Scotsman on Sunday:

Navy shadows Russian warship off Moray coast - The Scotsman

>>THE Royal Navy was believed to be shadowing at least one Russian naval vessel off the coast of Scotland last night after it sailed near the Moray Firth while on exercise in the North Sea.

. . . The Russian military news agency Interfax-AVN reported at the time that the fleet was on route to Syria and took shelter in the Moray Firth when faced with deteriorating weather conditions. *However, some *commentators *believe that the country is *testing Britain’s response times to such an incursion<<

Are they doing this to test our response times?

i rather doubt that they have no interest whatsoever in what information we might pass their way while they happen to be in the neighbourhood...

it may well be true that they sought shelter from bad weather in the Moray Firth, that does not however mean needed to, or indeed that they didn't fancy a look at how effective our maritime capabilities are after the loss of Nimrod...

Oh God, he said the N-Word...

I don't believe that most RADAR carrying aircraft would have much trouble finding surface vessels! :ugh:

LJ

There was also a rumour a few months back of a Russian sub off the Hebrides. Sadly (should that be embarrassingly) we don't have any way of knowing one way or another!

LJ, i meant more in the direction of whether we were looking, rather than whether we could see in terms of capability.

we have formidable maritime capabilities, what would interest the Russians - and anyone else - is how we use them, their readiness states, their availabity to maritime rather than land, or air dominance.

they have wikipedia, they do not - one hopes - have CAS/CNS's instructions on what to do if a Russian warship turns up without an invite.

cokecan

Considering the numpty's we have had in Govt over the last ten years or so, the err 'percieved' political leaning of some parts of the civil service and the actions of that ultra 'Grade A' village idiot Snowden (who, IMHO should be on top of someones 'black' to do list) I would be really surprised if they did NOT have CAS/CNS's instructions and we would be somewhat lacking to assume otherwise.

"numpty's"


Superb irony. Well done.

Ah, satsuma, you're as sharp as a small orange today! :ok:

That is only true until first contact. After first contact then it becomes obvious what ROE are in force. You keep pushing until you know you have reach the limit.

It was internationally accepted that an MPA would make no more than 3 passes. It was also agreed as to height and distance. It was not unknown for an official complaint to be sent through diplomatic channels if we pushed it.

OTOH I have reported a Soviet vessel inside 2 miles of the shore but, as far as we know, no action resulted.

Be kind of hard to "shadow" more than one wouldn't it?:E

SASLess, I don't understand your point.

Read that quote again.

And I don't understand the later post either. Of course they are giving/sending a message. We did.

Why is you all think they might be collecting or taking....and not giving or sending?

You dont need ocean going ships. The odd sub can do all that - until Scottish independence anyway.

PN

Not sure any "action" was warranted, unless said ships were deemed to be doing something other than "innocent passage"

Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,[1] is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships (both military and civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it

Nick

Nick, it was not on passage except in the very broadest terms. It was the Sorum tug, prepositioned in case a submarine got in difficulties. While it was only an ATR and not an AGI, it was only a few miles from Saxa.

I believe it was not unknown for them to pop ashore for whiskey and fresh food; being Scotland I am not sure if they got fresh veg. :)

PS,

Another export up there was Lada spares ordered off Exchange and Mart.

Pontious Navigator.
It's "whisky", not whiskey.

Russian Navy Tug Nikolay Chiker is currently on AIS

During 15 GMT noted off the Norwegian Coast

http://goo.gl/maps/9QME5

Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions - AIS Marine Traffic

Vessel Itineraries - AIS Marine Traffic

Nikolay Chiker is part of the Task Group supporting the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

Aircraft carriers of Russia's Northern Fleet head to Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea | Russia Beyond The Headlines

Russian Navy Tanker Osipov during 15 GMT

http://goo.gl/maps/zkgPa

Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions - AIS Marine Traffic

OSIPOV - Unspecified: current position and details | MMSI 273546000, Callsign | Registered in Russia - AIS Marine Traffic

Russian Navy Tanker Osipov is now in the Moray Firth. Tug Nikolay Chiker is likely heading for the area? Looks like the Admiral Kuznetsov Group is going to pay another visit as per 2011?

OSIPOV - Unspecified: current position and details | MMSI 273546000, Callsign | Registered in Russia - AIS Marine Traffic

Vessel Itineraries - AIS Marine Traffic

NIKOLAY CHIKER - Tug: current position and details | IMO 8613334, MMSI 273543910, Callsign UHSS | Registered in Russia - AIS Marine Traffic

Vessel Itineraries - AIS Marine Traffic

The Kuznetsov Group is now heading home via the English Channel and North Sea route. RFS Admiral Kuznetsov escorted by HMS Dragon on 8th May.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BnIEGRhCcAAcR7T.jpg

Time to prep the SAR boys at Lossie to provide some ISR coverage when the pesky Russkies park up in the Moray Firth next week! :p