Scourge of sneaky Russian spy subs
FEARS RETURN OF COLD WAR TACTICS ‘Envious’ Kremlin track £3bn warship
RUSSIAN subs kept a close eye on the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier as it had trials in the North Sea.
Navy commanders said they expected the Kremlin to use their vessels and aircraft to spy on HMS Queen Elizabeth last month.
The Defence Secretary claimed Russia will envy Britain’s new flagship.
Sir Michael Fallon contrasted the new £3billion, 65,000-ton carrier with what he called the “dilapidated” Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which sailed through the Channel late last year.
Britain’s largest ever warship later used low tide Each of he UK’s four Vanguard-class subs are armed with Trident nuclear missiles. Fitted with world beating sonar, the system is so sensitive they can hear vessels more than 50 miles away.
491ft. 42ft. 39ft. 15,900 tons. One Rolls Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor, two electric turbines, one pump jet propulsor, two turbo generators, two diesel alternators. SPEED 29mph. (submerged). 135 16 Trident missiles, four torpedo tubes. COST £1.5billion each. The Akula-class sub is the pride of the Russian Navy.
More than £1.2billion. It is acknowledged as the quietest nuclear attack submarine in service with the Russian Navy.
73. tons. 12,770 tons. 8140 OVERALL HEIGHT 11.3m MAXIMUM DIVING DEPTH 600m ARMS 4x650mm tubes, 4x533mm tubes, Cruise missiles, 12 Granit land attack missiles, anti-ship missiles and 28 Stallion and Starfish missiles, mk40 torpedoes and anti-sub missiles.
18 Strela portable missiles. Seven bladed fixedpitch propeller.