British Nuclear Submarine Purposely Surfaces Near Russian Spy Ship as a “Warning”
The nuclear submarine’s maneuver was seen as a "warning and message" to the Russian spy vessel, indicating that its activities were being closely monitored by the Royal Navy.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – A British nuclear-powered submarine deliberately surfaced near the Russian spy ship Yantar during its intelligence-gathering mission in UK waters late last year.
The nuclear submarine’s maneuver was seen as a “warning and message” to the Russian spy vessel, indicating that its activities were being closely monitored by the Royal Navy.
Britain currently operates five Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines, with two more under construction.
The Royal Navy’s Astute-class submarines include HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful, Audacious, and Anson, all of which are in active service.
Two additional submarines, HMS Agincourt and HMS Agamemnon, are under construction.
These submarines are equipped with an array of advanced weaponry, including the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile (TLAM), which enables them to strike ground targets with pinpoint accuracy from hundreds of kilometers inland.
The latest version, the Tomahawk IV, boasts an extended range of over 1,600 kilometers and can be redirected mid-flight, providing battlefield images to its host submarine.
The revelation about the British submarine surfacing near Yantar late last year comes as the Russian spy ship has reportedly returned to UK waters this month, believed to be continuing its underwater infrastructure mapping activities.
In November last year, Yantar was detected in UK waters, prompting Defence Secretary John Healey to accuse the vessel of “loitering” near the country’s critical underwater infrastructure.
He confirmed that the Royal Navy had deployed maritime patrol aircraft and surface warships to monitor Yantar’s movements.
“At one point, a British nuclear-powered submarine surfaced near Yantar to send a clear message that we are watching its every move,” Healey stated.
The disclosure of such submarine activity is rare, as the UK government typically avoids publicizing the operations of its nuclear-powered submarines.
However, this incident appears to be a deliberate message and a warning to Russia, urging it to halt its espionage activities in UK waters.
A few days ago, the Royal Navy deployed two warships, HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne, to shadow the Russian vessel as it returned and sailed into UK waters to continued its “espionage activities” of underwater infrastructures.
The presence of Yantar has heightened concerns about the security of Europe’s underwater infrastructure, which includes pipelines, electricity cables, and internet networks, amid fears of subversive activities by Russia.
Healey accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to threaten Europe’s security by targeting critical underwater infrastructure that transports oil, electricity, gas, and internet connectivity.
He added that this marked the second time in three months that Yantar had entered UK waters, raising suspicions that the vessel was collecting intelligence on the country’s vital assets.
Officially classified as a marine research vessel, Yantar was detected approximately 70 kilometers off the UK coastline, well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Healey reiterated that the ship’s activities were consistent with intelligence-gathering rather than scientific research.
In November, Yantar was also spotted near Ireland’s eastern coast, raising further concerns that it might be collecting intelligence on internet infrastructure linking the UK and Ireland.
— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA
