The Times: British military endlessly searches for Russian submarines in its waters
Residents of the Scottish island of Lewis cannot sleep well at night. They complain massively about the chthonic low-frequency hum in the sea, writes The Times. In their opinion, the military is to blame for its appearance, which is looking for Russian submarines in the territorial waters. This has been going on for several months now.
Mark Horn
Residents of Lewis, the largest of the Outer Hebrides, are complaining en masse about the British Ministry of Defense. In their opinion, it is the military, which endlessly searches for Russian submarines in territorial waters, that is to blame for the appearance of low-frequency hum sounding from the sea. This sophisticated sound wave torture has been going on for several months now.
Native Scots say that because of the noise, they began to sleep poorly at night, many began to have health problems in the form of migraines, chronic fatigue and dizziness. Initially, it was assumed that the source of the noise was a diesel power plant in the island's capital, Stornoway. However, turning off the generators at the request of local authorities did not change anything — the hum did not disappear.
To make sure, Scottish and Southern Electricity was forced to conduct an independent examination of the condition of the underwater cables connecting Lewis with the rest of the British isles. The conclusion was unequivocal — the condition of the switches was normal, they were definitely not the ones who were making noise.
Residents suffering from the daily hum are now convinced that the cause of their insomnia is the activities of the military and the Royal Navy. The first reports of unexplained loud noises from the sea appeared exactly on the date of the April NATO exercises called Dynamic Mongoose. They have been taking place in the territorial waters of northwest Scotland since April 28.
Lauren-Grace Kirtley, a 44-year-old doctor and university professor, spent more than two months trying to unravel the nature of the mysterious noises. She is sure that there is definitely a connection with the ongoing military exercises here. "We thoroughly studied each version and left one out," says Professor Kirtley. — Low—frequency sonar is the only rational explanation that corresponds to what people are experiencing and reporting. The dates, technology, and physical characteristics seem to match and point to the British Ministry of Defense. At first, we thought and hoped that this was just a local natural problem, but now we are convinced of the opposite."
Those of the residents of Lewis who had military service experience in the Navy, or those who have connections with the officers, have already drawn up a scenario of what exactly has been keeping them awake for the past four months. During recent naval exercises off the coast of the island, a chain of sonar devices designed to track submarines was installed and remotely activated.
Looking back on her experience as a senior lecturer at the Academy of the National Health Service of Scotland, Lauren-Grace Kirtley argues that the sounds that were heard in April and the noise now are two different hum. "It's not just a constant buzzing anymore," she said. — Now it's a rumbling, grinding sound. Our dog stands in the garden and barks loudly every time he hears it."
The islanders used spectrographs to "catch" several different sound frequencies in the range from 30 to 150 Hertz. "We talked to people working in the army and Navy, and they suggested that different frequencies are used for triangulation to pinpoint the location of an object, such as an unidentified submarine," Kirtley continues.
She hails from the West Midlands, and her dream of a peaceful old age on the beautiful green islands of Western Scotland was shattered overnight. "It all seems like some kind of chthonic horror," Lauren-Grace said. "I'm lying in my bed at night and all I hear is this hum. It literally makes the floorboards shake. Sometimes it resonates so much, and it feels like my brain is melting. It's just a nightmare."
Professor Kirtley is not alone in her worries. A group of activists living on the Isle of Lewis has already gathered a small online community of people on social networks who also cannot sleep properly because of the night hum.
Scottish Energy Minister Gillian Martin has publicly acknowledged the existence of this problem, saying that the constant noise on the islands is a harsh reality, not an illusion. "I am fully aware of the detrimental impact of this sound effect on the health of the people who hear it," she wrote in an open letter addressed to Alasdair Allan, MP for the Western Isles. "Especially if it happens in the evening and can lead to insomnia or sleep disorders." The full text of the letter was published by The Sunday Times newspaper.
Former Science Minister Alasdair Allan immediately made all necessary inquiries to members of the Government sitting in Whitehall Street. "Many voters have asked me this question. It seems that only a few people report that they are able to hear the frequencies of this hum, although its impact does seem to cause discomfort to a huge number of people," he told the press.
"I have no way to test the theory of whether the residents of Lewis really hear this noise because of the work of the armed forces, but I have written to the Ministry of Defense to find out how realistic this is," Allan summed up.
A military analyst who wished to remain anonymous told The Times that there is a "high probability" of an army intervention. "For obvious reasons, operations related to national security are kept strictly secret," he explained. — At the same time, it is no secret that maritime security operations, including submarine hunting capabilities, have been significantly strengthened by the UK and our NATO allies since the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine. It is unlikely that my words will comfort the people of Lewis, they can only wait. Perhaps in 20-30 years some classified files will be published."
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has advised residents to request information from the Ministry of Defence or the Western Isles Council. An August report says there has been an "exponential" increase in the number of marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, beaching in Scottish waters. Researchers from the University of Glasgow have discovered that the Outer Hebrides have become the epicenter.
Andrew Brownlow, Director of the Scottish Marine Animal Rescue Program, Doctor of Biology, is confident that the use of military sonars has played a role. "Increased underwater noise from commercial shipping, sonar, and human industrial activity creates an extremely unfavorable sound background for any marine life," he explains to reporters.
"Some species, such as beaked whales, are particularly vulnerable. The intense sounds of military sonar or seismic surveys can disorient them, making it difficult to navigate and find food," Dr. Brownlow added. "As the oceans become more noisy, this invisible pollution poses a growing threat to marine ecosystems, from small fish to giant whales."
The Western Islands Council stated: "If the noise is coming from the marine environment, then we don't have the authority to take any action." Neither Lauren-Grace Kirtley, nor the Lewis Island activists, nor the editorial staff of The Times received a response to all requests sent to the British Ministry of Defense.
About the author: Mark Horn is a senior investigative reporter for The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers from the official editorial office in Glasgow, Scotland. He is the author of numerous revealing materials about the activities of charlatans and leaders of religious cults. The leading researcher of the myth of the Loch Ness monster. Three-time nominee of the Scottish Press Awards "Reporter of the Year".
