A Royal Air Force Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has joined other NATO ships and aircraft to locate and track Russian Navy warships in the Mediterranean Sea.
Deployed to the region on a training exercise, the aircraft was reassigned to support a coalition of NATO warships tasked with the shadowing of Russian vessels.
"We were able to use Poseidon, one of the most capable intelligence platforms in the world, to support our allies by getting in close and identifying those ships. As one of the only nations within NATO with this platform, our involvement enhances the ability of the Alliance to monitor Russian activity.
It was a great demonstration that a British sovereign maritime patrol capability is ready to assist allies and partners in combined operations. It was also important to show that we’re standing alongside our NATO partners and other nations, contributing to the security of the Alliance.
We have a selection of the most modern, advanced, and capable sensors fitted to any aircraft in the world. Our search radar, combined with our video camera and other advanced sensors that allow us to detect radars and other emissions, means we can very quickly produce a picture of exactly what’s happening on the surface of the sea."
Squadron Leader Dave Higgins
Mission Commander, CXX Squadron
The Russian warships, which included Slava Class cruisers, Udaloy Class destroyers, and their support vessels, were monitored from a discrete distance as part of the NATO collective defence mission.