Royal Navy destroyer HMS Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

A Royal Navy destroyer has rushed to intercept a flotilla of Russian ships off Scotland in a return to Cold War tensions.

The battlegroup, headed by aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, is understood to have sought shelter from a storm in the Firth of Moray.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is en route to Syria, in a show of Russian support for the country's under-fire regime. Along with destroyer escort she has diverted toward the Scottish coast, apparently to take shelter from North Sea storms.

At 65,000 tons the Admiral Kuznetsov is roughly the size of Britain's long awaited new carriers. Built at the height of the Cold War, she is armed with Sukhoy SU 33 fast jets, KA-27 anti submarine warfare helicopters and Granit - NATO designation "Shipwreck" anti ship missiles.

There is one major difference from cold war times: back then a Nimrod would have been used to keep a watchful eye on the visitors. Even so, defence has managed to keep close enough tabs on the fleet to send HMS York all the way from Portsmouth to escort the ships.

So far the biggest row caused by the stopover is about dumping waste overboard. Even if this visit is down to the weather, state radio service the Voice of Russia rather ominously warns of imminent flight trials of the carrier's air group.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Destroyer
• Aircraft Carrier
• NAVY
• Russia
• Royal Navy
• HMS

[strizhi]

@Pringles352 They threw the white flag in 1991, disbanded a good portion of their navy and instead of the impressive 8 carriers to ours 11 they only have one. However they have balanced this out temporarily with the sub in mind able to knock out our carrier task force. Always a cat and mouse game - soon the carrier projects will be hitting up with them once funds are in place. Right now their aim is modernize, modernize, modernize. Good chattin', Russia ain't worth fighting with - bloodbath

[strizhi]

@Pringles352 Well they are no doubt but if for instance one were to tangle one on one with Kuznetsov then shit out of luck. Kuznetsov carries with her anti-ship missiles as a first line of defense, a slanted deck for self powered take off and fixed one of Sukhoi's best as last line of defense. Then again if Nimitz class manages to send 80 planes in the air to bombard the Kuznetsov then game's up too. Had the Soviet Union not disbanded we'd see 4 Varyag class, 3 Minsk and even Project Ulyanovsk.

[Pringles352]

No i dont think the British are jealous remotely. We have unparalelled technology within our navy and will be spending more than 160billion pounds in the next 5 years on defence. British defence spening is higher than Russia's

[Pringles352]

@meiki27 yeah. Next year on Jan 1st message me. There will be no world war in 2012 as you say there will be

[Pringles352]

@strizhi .....  i think the US carriers are a tad more capable eh?

[strizhi]

I love the new paint scheme on this carrier...it now is more then presentable and very comparable to the much respected French De Gaulle carrier. Keep it clean and up to speed on radar and weapons systems and this will continue to be still the most powerful flagship as any in the world today :)

[chezzylee]

@meiki27 a world war is classed at two or more continents involved in conflict. russia, china, syria, iran, pakistan vs UK, USA, Israel, france, germanny, turky, canada, japan, india.

even though Israel is the most terrorist.

then that will kick off the north korea/south korean war. and then argentina will try and reclaim falkland islands while UK is over streched.

in my own opinion.

deffinatly happening in 2012 without a doubt..the war will be over the middle east.

[meiki27]

3 world war cumming 2012 usa vs iran usa vs syria israel vs iran and syria russia vs usa and nato vs russia is = WORLD WAR 3= THE END OF 3 WORLD WAR IST NUCLEAR STRIKE = THE END OF THE HUMANS