Royal Navy sends warship to track Russian submarines in North Sea

Nato worked alongside the British forces to complete the mission

HMS Portland shadows Russian submarine Severodvinsk, one of two tracked in the North Sea (Royal Navy)

A Royal Navy warship has tracked two Russian submarines sailing in the North Sea.

British submarine hunter HMS Portland monitored cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk and Akula-class attack submarine Vepr as they travelled underwater along the Norwegian coast from the Arctic.

The Type 23 frigate shadowed the submarines as they surfaced separately in the North Sea, north west of Bergen, Norway, on 16 and 19 July, before Nato and Baltic forces took over duties as they continued to St Petersburg for Russian Navy Day celebrations on 31 July.

HMS Portland’s commanding officer, Commander Tim Leeder, said: “Our success on operations marks the culmination of many months of specialist training and exercises. Critically, the cohesiveness of Royal Navy, RAF and our allies capabilities ensures that we are capable of conducting and sustaining these types of anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic.

“It is testament to my sailors’ dedication and professionalism, alongside that of our allies, that we are able to conduct this strategically crucial role.”

Specialist helicopters equipped with sonars, sensors and torpedos were used to hunt the Russian Northern Fleet vessels in addition to a new RAF long-range maritime patrol aircraft used for tracking.

The operation comes soon after HMS Portland took part in Nato’s first submarine-hunting exercise, the Royal Navy said, adding that the joint exercise was an ideal warm-up for the live operation.

British forces have vast experience intercepting Russian fleets, with the RAF scrambling fighter jets to intercept Kremlin near the UK 136 times since 2005.

In 17 years there have been 504 quick reaction alerts (QRAs) throughout the UK’s airspace involving Typhoon fighter squadrons based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland with more than a quarter have involving a Russian aircraft, with call outs ranging from just one in 2006 to a peak of 19 in 2007.