Russian submarine 'chased' from Cork Harbour by British navy

The newly-built nuclear submarine The Krasnoyarsk is seen after a flag-raising ceremony on Monday for newly-built nuclear submarines at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk in Russia's Archangelsk region, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Picture: Kirill Iodas, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

A Russian submarine which positioned itself directly outside the entrance to Cork Harbour was "chased off" by a British helicopter and warship because our depleted navy doesn’t have the equipment to detect potential underwater threats.

The submarine was just outside the 12-mile limit, so it didn’t break any international laws, but military sources have indicated that such events around the Irish coast are becoming more common.

Details of the Russian underwater operation and subsequent British intervention, which took place six months ago, have just emerged. 

Military insiders say the Russians are probing British defence systems as they realise the UK is vulnerable on its western flank because the Irish navy has no sonar capabilities on the two ships that are still operational, meaning they cannot detect what’s going on underwater.

The Irish Examiner understands the incident with the Russian submarine occurred directly south of the entrance to Cork Harbour. A Russian-registered ‘civilian’ vessel was accompanying the submarine at the time and was believed to be acting as its ‘surface surveillance.’ 

Military sources have said that just before it got dark, a British helicopter swooped in and dropped sonar equipment into the water. The helicopter hovered around for a short while before leaving the scene.

Almost all of the Irish navy’s ships had sonar between the 1960s and 1980s and the former flagship vessel, LÉ Eithne, had it until the 1990s when it became defunct and deemed too expensive at the time by the Department of Defence to replace. File picture: Dan Linehan

Soon after, a British Royal Navy anti-submarine frigate arrived in the area to monitor the submarine’s movements as the Irish naval ships had no underwater surveillance technology to do this.

Almost all of the Irish navy’s ships had sonar between the 1960s and 1980s and the former flagship vessel, LÉ Eithne, had it until the 1990s when it became defunct and deemed too expensive at the time by the Department of Defence to replace.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

The Russians have also been testing British air defences off Irish shores in recent years, again in the knowledge that Ireland doesn't have fighter jets to monitor even their old Soviet-era Tu-95 ‘Bear Bombers’ as our Air Corps planes don’t have either the speed or altitude ceiling to get close to them.

Ireland possessed Vampire jets up until the 1950s.

While there doesn’t appear to be any immediate plans to purchase jet fighters, the Department of Defence has confirmed there are plans to provide underwater detection equipment for the navy.

The Department of Defence said: “A project for the enhancement of ‘Sub Sea Awareness Capabilities’ is currently being progressed.” 

However, the department has not said how much the equipment is expected to cost nor has it provided a timeframe for when it's likely to become operational on our ships.