Russian submarine hits UK warship’s sonar during chase in North Atlantic
Footage shows the crew shouting: ‘What the hell was that?’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Russian submarine collided with a British warship’s sonar during a chase in the Arctic Circle.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed for the first time that the crash took place with the Royal Navy ship in late 2020.
The Russian submarine struck HMS Northumberland’s towed array sonar - a cable covered in hydrophones - which it was trailing hundreds of metres behind it.
HMS Northumberland had been tracking the submarine 200 miles north of Scotland before it reportedly disappeared from the ship’s radar.
The MOD rarely comments on operations but did so because the crash was caught on camera while Channel 5 were filming for its Warship: Life at Sea series.
The ship’s crew spotted the submarine on the surface before it dived again.
The Royal Navy ship’s commander Thom Hobbs says in a clip: “We are very close to the submarine, we are probably parallel. If they were on the surface we would definitely see faces.”
The camera crew then captures the moment of impact, before a member of the crew is heard shouting: “What the f*** have I just hit?”
The sonar was badly damaged and the ship had to return to port in Scotland to get it replaced.
It is believed to be the first collision between Russian and British vessels since the Cold War.
A UK defence source told the BBC it was highly unlikely the collision was deliberate.
An MOD spokesman told the broadcaster: “In late 2020 a Russian submarine being tracked by HMS Northumberland came into contact with her towed array sonar.
“The Royal Navy regularly tracks foreign ships and submarines in order to ensure the defence of the United Kingdom.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments