It was just revealed that the UK Navy’s flagship was allegedly being tailed by Russian submarine, while it was sailing near Cyprus.
Upon realising that they were being followed, the Royal Navy scrambled two Merlin Mk2 helicopters to search for the submarine, the source reported.
The helicopters then dropped sonobuoys into the water, which used sound waves to detect the location of the hidden submarines.
Along with the HMS Queen Elizabeth, two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates and two support vessels were also stalked as she sailed off the coast of Cyprus in June.
The UK Ministry of Defense said the following:
“We do not comment on operational matters of this kind, but can confirm that robust measures are in place to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth and the ships of the UK Carrier Strike Group.”
Ryan Ramsey, a former Royal Navy submariner, told the Telegraph:
“Submarines aim not to be detected – it stops you completing your tasks.
“Evasion in a submarine is really difficult when you’re going up against something as capable as Merlin helicopters. The UK has always been really effective at anti-submarine warfare using ships, submarines and aviation.
“When I was teaching the submarine command course, Perisher, it was the Merlins that the student captains worried about the most. I’m sure the opposition are doing the same thing.”
The Russian Navy is believed to have diesel-electric submarines in the Mediterranean, which is close to their naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus.
The Merlin MK2 helicopters are regarded as ‘world’s most potent hunting helicopter’ by the Royal Navy. Which literally means nothing because they are simply advertising their own equipment.
The alleged “incident” took place days after Russia’s Black Sea Fleet fired warning shots at the HMS Defender, including dropping bombs from Su-24 warplanes, while the British warship was encroaching in Russian territorial waters.
The UK denied those claims, and is now making these counter claims saying that it hunted Russian submarines.
The only different here is that, unlike in the HMS Defender situation, this time there’s no footage of any sort to substantiate the claims.
source:southfront.org
