A Russian spy ship on the edge of UK waters has used lasers for the first time to disrupt RAF pilots monitoring its activities, the Defense Secretary has said.
John Healey told a Downing Street press conference that the government was taking this “deeply dangerous” measure “very seriously”.
He added that the ship, called Yantar, was north of Scotland and had entered UK waters in recent weeks, for the second time this year.
The ship is “designed to gather intelligence and map our undersea cables,” Healey told reporters.
“My message to Russia and Putin is this: we see you. We know what you are doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” he added.
Giving more details about the ship, Healey said: “It is part of a Russian fleet designed to put and maintain our and our allies’ underwater infrastructure at risk.
“It’s not just a naval operation. It’s part of a Russian program driven by what they call the Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, or GUGI, and it’s designed to have capabilities that can carry out surveillance in peacetime and sabotage in times of conflict.
“That is why we are determined that every time the Yantar enters wider British waters, we track it, deter it and tell Putin we are ready – and we do it together with our allies.”
He said this was a demonstration of Britain’s ability and “willingness to act”.
The Defense Secretary issued a warning in January about the ship after it was spotted in UK waters.
At his Downing Street press conference, he said it was the first time Yantar had used lasers in an attempt to “disrupt” RAF pilots, which he described as “deeply dangerous” and something the UK took “very seriously”.
He said he had changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so it could follow the Yantar more closely “when in our wider waters”.
“We have military options ready in case the Yantar changes course. I am not going to reveal them because that will only make President Putin wiser,” he said.
The UK and its NATO allies are concerned about the risk Russia poses to cables, pipelines and other marine infrastructure critical to internet connectivity.
In his speech, the Defense Secretary warned of Russian incursions into NATO airspace, as well as threats posed by China and armed conflicts around the world, adding: “Our world is changing. It is less predictable. It is more dangerous.”
The Ministry of Defense has been criticized by a committee of MPs for being overly reliant on US defense resources and being unprepared to defend the UK and its overseas territories from military attack.
The committee said the UK and its European allies should strengthen their capabilities to prepare for a possible US withdrawal.
Healey said the UK government “takes a different view” before the committee on US commitment to NATO.
“NATO’s strength is not just about the defense of Europe. It is also about the defense of the United States,” he told reporters.
But he said the committee was “right to say” Britain should “accelerate the pace of our engagement” and that is something the Labor Party has been doing since coming to power last year.
The report comes as British negotiators race to reach a deal with the EU that will allow British defense companies to contribute to projects funded by a new €150bn (£130bn) EU defense lending scheme due to be launched next year.
The Labor government wants to close a deal in the coming weeks to allow British companies to take part in the first round of bids from EU countries, applications for which are due at the end of this month.
Healey told reporters that the UK wanted to be part of the programme, but not “at any price”, amid reports that both sides are at odds over the entry fee the UK could pay to allow British companies to take part.
He added that any financial contribution to participate would have to be “good value for our taxpayers and our industry”.
