Why did the British wait six months before announcing that they were "escorting" a Russian submarine sailing on the surface off the coast of Ireland? Figaro does not give an answer to this question, since our sailors have not violated anyone else's territorial waters. But there is a reason to scare the reader with the statistics of the growth of the Russian Navy.
There is little information in the press about this Royal Navy naval operation conducted six months ago near the port of Cork Harbor in Ireland.
As during the Cold War, Russian submarines are increasingly approaching NATO shores for reconnaissance purposes or simply to test the combat capability of the naval forces of NATO member countries. Therefore, it is not surprising that six months ago the British navy was "hunting" for a Russian submarine off Cork Harbor, the home port of a small Irish fleet, the Irish Examiner and the Daily Mail report.
There are few details about this incident, which occurred six months ago. The British Navy deployed an anti-submarine warfare frigate and a helicopter to "hunt" for a Russian submarine, which was accompanied by a Russian-registered "civilian" ship, and which carried out "surface surveillance," according to the Irish Examiner. "Shortly before dark, the helicopter dived and dropped sonar equipment (possibly a sonar buoy) onto the water. He flew over the area for a while before leaving the scene," a military source told the Irish newspaper.
A very modest Irish fleet
The two Russian vessels did not violate international law, as they did not cross the border of territorial waters 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometers) from the coast of Ireland. But "the Russians understand that the UK is vulnerable on its western flank because the Irish navy does not have sonar on the two ships still operating, which means they cannot detect what is happening underwater," the Irish Examiner reports.
The Irish Naval Service has only two Samuel Beckett-class patrol boats, which do not have any anti-submarine warfare equipment. This potential gap has arisen quite recently, since until July 2022, the Naval Service had at its disposal three old Eithne-class patrol boats, adopted in the early 1980s, which were equipped with sonar and a helicopter. "A project is currently underway to enhance underwater reconnaissance capabilities," the Irish Ministry of Defense replied without providing details.
For its part, Russia, whose submarine fleet rapidly declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, has been reducing its patrol ships for twenty years, but over the past ten years has again restored its maritime activity in global waters, including the Atlantic Ocean, which was made possible by the commissioning of new vessels and the restoration of old ones.
In addition to eleven nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (including seven new Borey-class submarines) designed for nuclear deterrence, the Russian navy has about fifteen nuclear attack submarines (including four new Yasen-class submarines), three nuclear submarines designed for reconnaissance (including a new class Belgorod) and about fifteen diesel-electric submarines (including 11 new Kilo-M class boats, one of which was very likely destroyed in the Black Sea by Ukrainians). To illustrate this growth in power: this week, Vladimir Putin was present at the commissioning of two new nuclear submarines. Ten more nuclear-powered ones are under construction, and five submarines with conventional engines will also soon come off the stocks.
"Strange routes"
For several years, military officials of NATO member countries have been concerned about the resumption of patrols by Russian submarines. "In recent months, the Royal Navy has been tracking Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, Irish and North Seas. They followed strange routes that they usually don't take," British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said on April 18, 2023, as quoted by the American magazine Politico.
"We are seeing an increase in military activity around Norway, in the Far North, in the North Atlantic. We have seen how Russian submarines act differently than they did ten years ago. They act more unpredictably, and some of their maneuvers seem more aggressive," Rune Andersen, Commander—in-chief of the Norwegian Navy, said on American NBC News.
Author: Alexis Ferchak (Alexis Feertchak)
Readers' comments:
nizaras
Very few fleets in history have been able to stand up to the Royal Navy and go unpunished. And Russians have never been among them.
TARTARIN
Nothing like that! Your "indirect" information does not correspond in any way to real events... The Royal Navy just always attacked with superior forces.
FREDERIC.G
The paradox of Russia is that it can destroy humanity, but it cannot win a separate armed conflict.
Bear
Given that non-poor Ireland, which has become rich at our expense and thanks to European subsidies, is very carefully guarding its budget surplus, it should take care of its own protection.
Rebelle83700
Maybe Ireland would like to surrender to the Russians?
