HMS Defender
Dupa obisnuitele deja survoluri pe deasupra Japoniei si a tarilor europene cu avioane Tu-95, Tu-160 sau Suhoi, ivanii s-au gandit sa-i testeze si pe baietii din Royal Navy, trimitandu-le pe cap o nava militara prin nordul Scotiei, intrand in zona economica exclusiva britanica si asteptand mai apoi relaxati sa vada reactia.
Astfel cu cateva zile inaintea Craciunului o nava militara ruseasca s-a apropiat pana la 30Mm ( aproximativ 55km) de tarmul britanic in nord-estul Scotiei. Nava ruseasca, descrisa de britanicii ca fiind o nava purtatoare de rachete, a declansat alarma in cadrul Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), aviatia militara britanica supraveghind non-stop avanasul navei spre coasta scotiana.
Necazul a venit insa din reducerile bugetare destul de ample pe care sistemul militar britanic, in totalitatea lui, le-a suportat in ultimii ani, astfel ca pentru interceptarea navei rusesti a fost necesara alarmarea si trimiterea de urgenta a unui distrugator Type 45 – HMS Defender, care a plecat in maximum de viteza, insa tot a avut nevoie de 24 de ore pentru a strabate cele 600Mm care despart baza navala din Portsmouth –sudul Angliei – acolo unde distrugatoarele isi au portul-baza, pana in nordul Scotiei.
Departe de incerca sa fuga, nava ruseasca a asteptat linistita sa vada raspunsul britanicilor, in zona Moray Forth. Distrugatorul britanic a navigat in mare viteza fiind gata de lupta, britanicii considerand acest act unul foarte agresiv din partea Rusiei. O sursa din cadrul MoD-ului britanic a declarat:
“They were watched very closely by the RAF and it was agreed that HMS Defender should block the Russians’ passage. ‘Defender was fully equipped with Sea Viper surface-to-air missiles and guns capable of firing 40kg shells as far as 18 miles. Her captain and crew knew this was the real deal and were prepared to engage.”
Odata ce nava britanica a ajuns in zona, intre cele noua nave de razboi a avut loc un schimb de mesaje, iar mai apoi HMS Defender a urmarit nava ruseasca in timul retragerii acesteia spre apele internationale, insa in tot acest timp echipajul distrugatorului britanic a stat cu degetul pe tragaci.
Dupa aceasta confruntare, agentia de stiri ruseasca Interfax-AVN a anuntat ca nava militara rusa a intrat intradevar in zona economica exclusiva britanica, insa motivatia ar fi fost vremea neprielnica, rusii incercand doar sa-si puna nava la adapost. Doar ca acesta nu este primul astfel de incident, in 2011 un intreg grup naval de lupta constand in portavionul Kuznetov, nava anti-submarin Admiral Chabanenko si nava de escorta Yaroslav Mudry, s-au apropiat de tarmurile Scotiei, pana cand navele Royal Navy le-au facut semn s-o ia din loc.
Comentand incidentul expertul britanic Jonathan Eyal, de la Royal United Services Institute, a spus ca aceste manevre nu sunt deloc intamplatoare ci dimpotriva foarte atent programate, Rusia incercand sa intimideze Marea Britanie si sa semnaleze ca s-a intors in zona de nord cu nave noi si puternice, iar pe de alta parte rusii testand rapiditate si modul de raspuns britanic.
“The Russian fleet, which is growing in strength and expanding its sphere of influence, wanted to show a presence in the North Sea and sail as close as possible to the national sea boundary. The Russians knew exactly what they were doing. They were saying, “We are back in business in the North Sea and we are powerful.They knew how far they could sail before they would be required to withdraw.
The Russians may also be inspecting nuclear installations in Scotland, with a view towards the independence referendum. Certainly the Russians would see the country as more vulnerable if it were no longer part of Britain. The approach was part of a pattern of behaviour, and the action is more threatening when considered in this context. Last year Russian military jets approached Swedish airspace and only withdrew when the Swedes scrambled their aircraft.”
Sursa: Dailymail
GeorgeGMT
Cu multumiri pentru Fabian