A British warship and aircraft tracked Russian submarines that were attempting to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, according to the defence secretary, John Healey.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Healey said the UK operation lasted more than a month and involved a Royal Navy warship and a P8 marine patrol aircraft. He said they worked to “track and deter any malign activity” by three Russian submarines, ensuring the vessels left the area.
The operation, described by Healey, focused on activity in the North Atlantic and North Sea connected to undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. The defence secretary said the British response forced the Russian submarines to abandon their activity.
Undersea cables are a crucial part of modern communications and infrastructure, carrying large amounts of data between countries and across oceans. Any survey activity around them can raise security concerns because of the importance of protecting these links.
Healey’s comments come amid continuing concern in Europe and the UK about the security of infrastructure at sea and the presence of Russian military activity in strategically sensitive waters. The operation he outlined involved close monitoring by the Royal Navy and patrol aircraft over an extended period rather than a brief interception.
The defence secretary did not provide further operational detail at the press conference beyond saying that the British forces tracked the submarines and deterred their activity. He said the result was that the Russian vessels were prevented from continuing their survey work in the area.
The announcement adds to wider discussion in the UK about maritime security and the protection of cables and other undersea assets. The government has increasingly highlighted the role of the Royal Navy and surveillance aircraft in monitoring activity around the country’s sea lanes and infrastructure.
Healey’s statement at Downing Street presented the operation as part of a broader effort to respond to what he described as malign activity. The involvement of both a warship and a P8 patrol aircraft points to the use of surface and air assets in a coordinated effort to observe and deter the submarines over the course of more than a month.
