UK deploys a destroyer to track Russian aircraft carrier

LONDON Thu May 8, 2014 2:01pm

(Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it had deployed a destroyer to track a Russian aircraft carrier sailing close to its coastal waters, the latest in a series of such incidents and a reminder of underlying tensions between London and Moscow.

A spokesman from Britain's Ministry of Defence said HMS Dragon had been "activated" on Wednesday in response to the approach of a Russian task force including the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier.

"It was activated yesterday to meet the Admiral Kuznetsov task force," the spokesman told Reuters.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is capable of carrying up to 26 fixed-wing fighters and 24 helicopters. A Russian naval spokesman said last month the vessel had completed a deployment as part of Moscow's naval force in the Mediterranean and was on its way back to its base of Severomorsk in north-west Russia.

HMS Dragon, a modern air-defence destroyer, was deployed in similar circumstances just last month to shadow another Russian warship, the Vice-Admiral Kulakov, as it sailed past Britain.

Britain last month also scrambled Typhoon fighter jets to see off Russian military planes flying close to its airspace off the coast of Scotland.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that recent events in Ukraine have increased awareness of Russian military activity, but that Britain's military has long routinely intercepted, identified and escorted Russian planes and warships travelling through "areas of interest".

Reuters

Russian Aircraft Carrier Group Enters English Channel


15:4708/05/2014

MURMANSK, May 8 (RIA Novosti) – A group of warships from Russia’s Northern Fleet led by the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov entered the English Channel Thursday, the head of the Western Military District’s press service for the Northern Fleet told RIA Novosti.

According to Captain of the 1st Class Vadim Serga, the group will soon pass into the North Sea, before proceeding into the northeast Atlantic.

“During the transition through the English Channel the Russian ships will hold celebrations dedicated to the 69th anniversary of Victory Day,” Serga said.

While passing through the Atlantic, the crews of the Admiral Kuznetsov and the heavy nuclear guided-missile cruiser Petr Velikiy will carry out joint training exercises with naval aviators, a difficult task due to the strong cyclonic activity typical in northern latitudes.

In the waters of the North Atlantic, the crews of the Northern Fleet warships will perform complex combat training and air defense exercises.

The Petr Velikiy spent more than six months in the Mediterranean Sea. The crew took part in 13 operations ensuring the safety of the transportation of Syrian chemical weapons.

The Admiral Kuznetsov stayed in the Mediterranean Sea for more than three and a half months. During their time at sea, aviators gained considerable experience in operating from an aircraft carrier.

The Northern Fleet ships are expected to arrive at their home ports by the end of May.

RIA Novosti