May 9th 2014. Russian Naval Task Group in the English Channel.

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A Russian aircraft carrier and and a nuclear-powered battle cruiser have passed through the English Channel - escorted by a British warship.

The seven-strong naval task group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's largest warship, entered the Channel last night (Thursday May 8th), a Royal Navy spokesman said.

Although the ships did not enter UK territorial waters, their movements were tracked by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon - the duty fleet-ready escort vessel - which was dispatched from Portsmouth.

Daily Mail


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A couple of weeks ago the Russian Air Force was prodding about the northern most limits of the UK Air Defence Region, today it's the turn of their naval colleagues.
This group of ships passed through the English Channel last December en-route to the Mediterranean.

The Straits of Dover are a particularly congested part of the Channel and it is to be hoped that the Russians obey all the rules.
This time lapse video neatly illustrates a day's shipping movements. Watch out for the cross channel ferries neatly dodging the east and west bound streams.

[YOUTUBE]z50XoqzOBLQ[/YOUTUBE]

Their aircraft carrier just doesn't look as impressive as our large ones.

Their aircraft carrier just doesn't look as impressive as our large ones.

Very true, but it's still a hefty piece of kit that I'd prefer to see tied alongside in Murmansk instead of sailing up the English Channel!

Keep calm and have a cuppa. Russian planes, Russian ships, blah, blah, blah. Do you really think they will attack Britain? France? Germany? The US? Why would they commit a suicide move like that? This is just Putin waving his dick around before he gobbles the Ukraine.

well said bruce !!!

It's a game of Put 'n' Take.

"Follow my right hand.... Watch it closely!"

[COLOR="Orange"][SIZE="1"]Left hand snatches Ukraine.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

Whenever I see one of those type of carrier, the ones with the up-turned nose, it makes me think they need that extra lift at the end because they haven't yet mastered steam.:right:

Gravdigr;898837 wrote:

Whenever I see one of those type of carrier, the ones with the up-turned nose, it makes me think they need that extra lift at the end because they haven't yet mastered steam.:right:

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Another British innovation is the ski-jump ramp, which came about as a means of improving take off for the VSTOL BAE Sea Harrier "jump-jet" on the small Invincible class aircraft carriers. From an idea by Lt Cdr D.R. Taylor, RN, in 1973, initial testing was carried out at the RAE Bedford. They are most common on aircraft carriers supporting STOVL aircraft such as the Harrier, but the Russians also used them with conventional MiG-29s and Su-33s.

The ski jump is a ramp which is curved upwards at its forward end. For STOVL aircraft the aircraft starts by making a conventional rolling takeoff with the jet exhausts set to provide maximum forward thrust. As the plane nears the end of the ramp (the ski jump portion) the jet exhausts are rotated to provide upward lift as well as forward thrust. Rolling over the ski ramp launches the plane both upwards and forwards. As the plane leaves the ski jump ramp it continues to accelerate horizontally until the wings can provide the needed lift.

Ski Jump Ramp

I have a vague memory of Lt Cdr Taylor being awarded £25,000 for his work on this development. Might be wrong, so a bit more research required.

ETA: Just found this article. It's hellishly more complicated than I thought.

Ski Jump Explained.

xoxoxoBruce;898791 wrote:

Keep calm and have a cuppa. Russian planes, Russian ships, blah, blah, blah. Do you really think they will attack Britain? France? Germany? The US? Why would they commit a suicide move like that? This is just Putin waving his dick around before he gobbles the Ukraine.

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that Carruthers is more about posting what he finds interesting and unusual according to his tastes, as opposed to OMG INVASION!

That said, the Channel is a very narrow stretch of water. You can see France from England across it.
So Putin is waving his dick quite close to our faces there.

I'm okay. I live it t'North now. I have enough time to travel five miles to the Leeds/ Bradford airport and make it to America when they invade.

Sundae;898887 wrote:

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that Carruthers is more about posting what he finds interesting and unusual according to his tastes, as opposed to OMG INVASION!

Yes, that's about right Sundae. Once long ago, I did play a very minor part in the Cold War.
In fact it was so minor that it was barely visible to the naked eye but I still take an interest in these things.

So, you were, like , MI 0.5?

sexobon;898891 wrote:

So, you were, like , MI 0.5?

Not even as big as that! ;)

Carruthers;898868 wrote:

Courtesy of Wikipedia:



Ski Jump Ramp

I have a vague memory of Lt Cdr Taylor being awarded £25,000 for his work on this development. Might be wrong, so a bit more research required.

ETA: Just found this article. It's hellishly more complicated than I thought.

Ski Jump Explained.

Yeah, I understand the basic idea with the up-turn...That's just how my mind works.

:3eye:

Sundae;898887 wrote:

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that Carruthers is more about posting what he finds interesting and unusual according to his tastes, as opposed to OMG INVASION!.

Yeah, I know that, but that's the reaction Putin is looking for. He says hey look at me, and anyone who says hey look at Putin, makes his day. Although I doubt Putin reads the Cellar.;)

That said, the Channel is a very narrow stretch of water. You can see France from England across it.
So Putin is waving his dick quite close to our faces there.

So is flying the Bear Bombers along the California coast.
Carruthers is too smart to think it's an actual threat, and not grandstanding by Putin.

Oh, the ski jump nose... the Russians only steal the best ideas.