21.12.2011
British destroyer HMS York has returned to Portsmouth Naval Base after watching over the Russian Navy's largest warship aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov last week off the British Isles.
The Royal Navy's warship was keeping watch over Russian carrier and her escort consisting of six combat ships and support vessels hear Scotland and off western Ireland where Russian deck-based fighters
Su-33 practiced flights.
Being a duty ship, i.e. combat-ready frigate or destroyer capable to react on a threat and leave base immediately, HMS
York was dispatched early in Dec to trace Russian task force headed by aircraft carrier
Admiral Kuznetsov. The British destroyer met the carrier group on Dec 12 northeastward the Orkney Islands.
For the first time in a long period, the Russian 55,000-ton warship was so close to British territorial waters.
Admiral Kuznetsov spent 4 days in neutral waters of the Moray Firth taking cover fr om the gale.
When the weather became better, the Russian task force consisting of aircraft carrier
Admiral Kuznetsov, large ASW ship
Admiral Chabanenko, frigate
Yaroslav Mudry, three replenishment tankers and ocean-going tug sailed round Scotland heading for the Atlantic.
Training flights of
Su-33 fighters and
Ka-27 helicopters were conducted along with weather improvement. All that time
Admiral Kuznetsov was under steady watch of HMS
York.
According to HMS
York's commanding officer Commander Rex Cox, the ship was sent to observe the Russian task group. HMS
York demonstrated presence of Royal Navy and accomplished a number of routine tasks in territorial waters, added Cox. As for him, the crew obtained good practice and is ready to perform analogous tasks wh erever inside the UK waters.
When the Russian task group continued moving southward British territorial waters, HMS
York returned to Portsmouth. "My ship's company have put in a cracking effort in what have been challenging weather conditions and are now looking forward to some well-deserved Christmas leave and some time with their families", said the ship's CO.
