03-07-2025
Portsmouth based Royal Navy ship tracks Russian sub in UK waters
The Royal Navy dispatched a warship and helicopters to monitor a surfaced Russian submarine as it sailed west through the North Sea and English patrol ship HMS Mersey led out a Wildcat helicopter, and a specialist submarine hunting Merlin aircraft to report on RFN operation, which took place at the end of last week and over the weekend, was part of the government's ongoing commitment to safeguard the integrity of UK waters and protecting national Mersey's commanding officer, Lt Cdr Dan Wardle, called the monitoring of naval vessels, as they pass through our area, a "fundamental task".
He said it is "one that ensures we maintain situational awareness and the ability to respond swiftly when required".It was the sixth time HMS Mersey had been called upon for monitoring in the past three months.
The British warship and helicopters utilised powerful sensors and systems to watch every move the Kilo-class boat and Goryn-class tug boat Yakov Grebelski during their voyage."I am proud of my ship's company, whose professionalism, cohesion, and constant readiness continue to reflect the high standards expected of Royal Navy personnel," Lt Cdr Wardle Mersey handed over monitoring duties to Nato allies as the Russians left UK waters.
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