LienNoir
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2020
- Messages
- 143
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
Royal Navy Shadowed A Russian Submarine In English Channel
Official released photograph of the Russian Navy submarine Krasnodar in the English Channel, July 19
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy has confirmed that it has shadowed a Russian submarine as it passed through the English Channel from Sunday to Tuesday. The approach of the sub was first reported in Forbes on Sunday. The Royal Navy statement also confirmed our identification of the submarine as the Krasnodar (B-265).
I knew of this in advance of the Royal Navy press release because the submarine has been monitored by open-source intelligence analysts since it left Tartus in Syria on July 1, even though the submarine was invisible to the main navigation aid, known as AIS (automated identification system).
Experts such as Frank Bottema and Twitter user @matchlessman410 used a range of methods to estimate the location of the submarine. They could determine when it passed through the sweep of Sentinel satellites. Submarines, even when surfaced, are hard to see on these low-resolution satellites. But with the intelligence clues the OSINT analysts were able to catch them on multiple occasions, including this image with the Royal Navy warship in attendance:
The tracking allowed ship spotters to pick her up as she passed Gibraltar on July 13. She had been similarly monitored when she passed through the Bosporus in March 2019.
The Royal Navy statement said that the submarine had been escorted all the way, monitored by both HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey. They “watched every movement of the Kilo-class submarine, Krasnodar, after picking up monitoring duties from French light frigate FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet off the coast of Ushant Island in Brittany on Sunday.”
HMS Tyne (P281) and HMS Mersey (P283) are both River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). They are ideal for these sorts of tasks which require a clear presence, and the ability to call on more capable assets, but where a heavy armament is unnecessary or counter-productive. The Royal Navy operates six River Class OPVs with two more joining the fleet soon.
The French warship FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet is an A-69 Estienne d'Orves class corvette. She is more heavily armed than the River Class but still much lighter than a regular frigate or destroyer.
From other sources we know that another NATO warship was also involved. As she left the hands of HMS Mersey, the submarine was met by the Belgian Frigate F 930 Leopold. This is a larger and more heavily armed warship.
The Captain of HMS Mersey, Lieutenant Commander Will Edwards-Bannon, was quoted as saying that "It has been impressive to see, first-hand, the seamless coordination between allied ships and aircraft from various nations involved in this operation.”
The monitoring of the non-NATO submarine highlights an important role for the Royal Navy. The fact that I was able to report it four days before the Royal Navy confirmed it illustrates the potential for OSINT. With some knowledge it is possible for regular citizens to observe military operations in near real-time. The dangers and complications of this are not lost on Navy commanders.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutt...an-submarine-in-english-channel/#5887b90964bb
Official released photograph of the Russian Navy submarine Krasnodar in the English Channel, July 19
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy has confirmed that it has shadowed a Russian submarine as it passed through the English Channel from Sunday to Tuesday. The approach of the sub was first reported in Forbes on Sunday. The Royal Navy statement also confirmed our identification of the submarine as the Krasnodar (B-265).
I knew of this in advance of the Royal Navy press release because the submarine has been monitored by open-source intelligence analysts since it left Tartus in Syria on July 1, even though the submarine was invisible to the main navigation aid, known as AIS (automated identification system).
Experts such as Frank Bottema and Twitter user @matchlessman410 used a range of methods to estimate the location of the submarine. They could determine when it passed through the sweep of Sentinel satellites. Submarines, even when surfaced, are hard to see on these low-resolution satellites. But with the intelligence clues the OSINT analysts were able to catch them on multiple occasions, including this image with the Royal Navy warship in attendance:
The tracking allowed ship spotters to pick her up as she passed Gibraltar on July 13. She had been similarly monitored when she passed through the Bosporus in March 2019.
The Royal Navy statement said that the submarine had been escorted all the way, monitored by both HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey. They “watched every movement of the Kilo-class submarine, Krasnodar, after picking up monitoring duties from French light frigate FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet off the coast of Ushant Island in Brittany on Sunday.”
HMS Tyne (P281) and HMS Mersey (P283) are both River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). They are ideal for these sorts of tasks which require a clear presence, and the ability to call on more capable assets, but where a heavy armament is unnecessary or counter-productive. The Royal Navy operates six River Class OPVs with two more joining the fleet soon.
The French warship FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet is an A-69 Estienne d'Orves class corvette. She is more heavily armed than the River Class but still much lighter than a regular frigate or destroyer.
From other sources we know that another NATO warship was also involved. As she left the hands of HMS Mersey, the submarine was met by the Belgian Frigate F 930 Leopold. This is a larger and more heavily armed warship.
The Captain of HMS Mersey, Lieutenant Commander Will Edwards-Bannon, was quoted as saying that "It has been impressive to see, first-hand, the seamless coordination between allied ships and aircraft from various nations involved in this operation.”
The monitoring of the non-NATO submarine highlights an important role for the Royal Navy. The fact that I was able to report it four days before the Royal Navy confirmed it illustrates the potential for OSINT. With some knowledge it is possible for regular citizens to observe military operations in near real-time. The dangers and complications of this are not lost on Navy commanders.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutt...an-submarine-in-english-channel/#5887b90964bb
