NATO’s nightmare: Spanish Navy intercepts stealthy Russian submarine within the Mediterranean.
A helicopter flying over an M36 Tajo minehunter of the Spanish Navy throughout an train.
Credit score: Shutterstock, StockPhotoAstur
A sneaky Russian submarine rippling close to the Balearic Islands has obtained NATO on excessive alert:
The Spanish Armada’s rapid-response ship, BAM Twister, tracked the stealthy Russian battle submarine Novorossiysk because it sailed south of the Balearic Islands, setting off a high-stakes operation of surveillance and deterrence within the coronary heart of the Mediterranean.
This 76-metre beast, armed to the enamel with six torpedo launchers and mines, isn’t any odd vessel. Hailing from Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Novorossiysk boasts the stealthy, nearly invisible expertise of the Varshavianka class, often known as the Kilo class, which NATO has dubbed the ‘black gap of the ocean’ attributable to how arduous it’s to detect.
Russian sub ‘slipped by way of’ with NATO in scorching pursuit
The Novorossiysk made its transfer by way of the Balearics after coming from the Japanese Mediterranean, the place its house base, Tartus, has been left in limbo following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 9, 2024. With the way forward for the Russian naval base unsure, this submarine’s presence has raised alarm bells throughout Europe.
However the Spanish Navy wasn’t letting the Novorossiysk slip by unnoticed. The BAM Twister, a cutting-edge warship, shadowed the Russian vessel all the way in which from the Mediterranean, retaining an in depth eye till it crossed into Portuguese waters. And simply when it seemed just like the submarine would possibly escape, Spain’s Blas de Lezo frigate took over the surveillance because the Novorossiysk neared Galicia, near the border with Portugal. It was a sport of cat and mouse.
The Novorossiysk isn’t simply any previous submarine. It’s the primary of its variety in Russia’s Black Sea fleet to come back geared up with stealth expertise that makes it practically undetectable to radar. It will possibly dive to depths of 300 metres, making it one of the crucial subtle and stealthy subs on the planet. Its six 533mm torpedo tubes and mines pack a severe punch, making it a significant concern for naval forces within the Mediterranean.
Spanish Navy stayed on the path, then handed over to French forces
The Novorossiysk’s path was intently monitored because it sailed northward, however the Spanish Navy wasn’t achieved but. After the Blas de Lezo took cost of monitoring the sub off Galicia, duty for the Russian vessel was handed over to French naval forces, making certain that this shadowy presence in European waters gained’t go unnoticed for lengthy.
Whereas NATO works to maintain its finger on the heartbeat of Russian naval actions, the Novorossiysk’s stealthy, unpredictable actions have stored Europe’s navy on edge, and the battle for supremacy beneath the waves is way from over.
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