A fully armed Royal Navy warship was scrambled to challenge a missile-carrying Russian vessel in the waters off Britain just days before Christmas, defence sources revealed last night.
In a calculated test of Britain's reduced naval capacity in the North Sea, the Russian warship came within 30 miles of the coast.
It was detected nearing Scotland, but the only ship the Royal Navy had available to respond after Ministry of Defence cuts was in Portsmouth, resulting in a delay of 24 hours until it was in position. . . .
In a calculated test of Britain's reduced naval capacity in the North Sea, the Russian warship came within 30 miles of the coast.
It was detected nearing Scotland, but the only ship the Royal Navy had available to respond after Ministry of Defence cuts was in Portsmouth, resulting in a delay of 24 hours until it was in position. . . .
And from the department of irony:
The SNP has been critical of the scrapping of the Nimrod fleet, leaving the UK with no dedicated maritime patrol aircraft.
Odd timing, politically...
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