In times of moderate to high tension, it is to be expected that military adversaries will actively spy on each other and probe each other’s defences in the air and on the sea surface. During the Cold War, this was part and parcel of carrier operations throughout the Global Commons – and especially in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea where Soviet long-range land-based air was close enough to monitor the movement of our NATO Carrier Battle Groups.
During the 70s and beyond, the Soviets understood the power and flexibility of US and UK strike carriers. They wanted to develop their own strike carriers but had no hands-on experience of how to operate the same effectively. So they deployed intelligence gathering units in the air and on the sea surface to shadow and learn from our operations.
On the sea surface, they deployed Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) gathering trawlers which were festooned with listening devices, copying and recording the manner in which we were able to conduct operations. In international waters there was little that we could do to prevent them from “escorting” our carrier battle groups. But what we could do was to make their intelligence gathering more difficult. In 892 Phantom Squadron embarked in HMS Ark Royal IV, we would fly over the ELINT vessel at supersonic speed and just above masthead height. The associated shock waves from the sonic boom would knock their electronics and generators off-line: effectively denying them the intelligence that they desired. Of course, it was a token gesture but all part of the game.
That game did include the Soviets attempting to interfere with/disrupt flight deck operations from our carriers. They would deploy a destroyer to accompany the carrier and to create a collision risk by turning across our bow during the launch and recovery of our Phantoms and Buccaneers. This occurred by day and by night. Then, one night, the Soviet destroyer got it wrong. A collision occurred! HMS Ark Royal’s bow hit the Soviet destroyer amidships, nearly capsizing it and putting several Soviet sailors in the water – who were then rescued by Ark Royal’s sea-boats and later returned to their ship dressed in Royal Navy uniform. (See my book, “Her Majesty’s Top Gun and the Decline of the Royal Navy” for more details.)
There was no news media hyperbole attached to these incidents along the lines of what we are now hearing about the MQ-9 Reaper loss over the Black Sea.
In the air, our battle group movements were monitored closely by long-range Soviet aircraft, notably the Bear D. Our job in the Phantom and later the Sea Harrier was to intercept these aircraft at long-range by day and night and demonstrate to them that they would be shot down in the event of a hot war (as opposed to peacetime tension games). It was a routine evolution during which we would escort the “shadower” in very close formation, taking note of its configuration and aircraft side number (usually found on the tail fin).
By night, the Soviet tail gunner would wait until we were tucked close into position just feet from the tailplane, trying to read the black tail number on its grey background (not easy). They would then switch on a high-powered searchlight shining directly into our cockpit, blinding us and forcing us to break away!
By day, the Bear would sometimes descend to very low level over the sea surface at low speed while we were formating on their wingtip, and then turn hard in towards us with their wingtip almost touching the sea surface, hoping to fly us into the water! If we were formating on their tailplane, the tail gunner would sometimes hold up a centrefold nude picture from the Playboy magazine hoping to distract us!
None of the above incidents and evolutions could or should be described as worthy of international sabre rattling. They do represent ongoing probing by adversaries which is to be expected and will continue.
That brings me back to the MQ-9 Reaper incident, to the associated lack of diplomacy and of simple common sense that has been eroded by misguided military and political leaders who appear to take great delight in telling the world and our adversaries what we are doing militarily and what we plan to do. The transparency that comes from telling the media and the public what they do not need to know is a serious National Security risk. Elevating the loss of a drone to an international military crisis, as is happening now with the often misinformed or over-informed public media, is utterly regrettable.
The same is true for all our witless leaders’ revelations and statements of intent concerning the Ukraine land war. Why are we telling the world precisely what military aid and equipment we in the West are providing or not providing for the Ukraine government? Politically, diplomatically and militarily that is counter-productive, escalatory, unacceptable and inadvisable.
Hi Sharkey, thanks for your insight on the drone news. And right you are, criticizing the Government for informing the Russians about military assistance for the Ukrainians via the media. Reminds me of the BBC informing the Argentine Air Force about bomb fuzing. Back in 1980, when the Ark was towed from Plymouth, I happened to be standing on the Hoe and watching. A sad sight I still remember today. Best Michael
Hi Sharkey. so true! I remember on Galatea up in the north sea we would clear lower deck and moon the bear d when they flew past us at low level. on one trip we dressed Fred the man overboard dummy in a gold badge number 1 suit and hung him by the neck from one of the main mast yardarms the bear must have taken a lot of photos! it was reported in Russia that the Royal Navy were hanging sailors at Sea! lol. When we got back to Guzz there was a black MOD car waiting on the jetty which took our skipper ( Zip Nolan) away!! He did come back but we never heard if he got a jovial pat on the back or a bollocking!
Hi Sharkey,
thanks for your insight on the drone news.
And right you are, criticizing the Government for informing the Russians about military assistance for the Ukrainians via the media. Reminds me of the BBC informing the Argentine Air Force about bomb fuzing.
Back in 1980, when the Ark was towed from Plymouth, I happened to be standing on the Hoe and watching. A sad sight I still remember today.
Best
Michael
Hi Sharkey. so true! I remember on Galatea up in the north sea we would clear lower deck and moon the bear d when they flew past us at low level. on one trip we dressed Fred the man overboard dummy in a gold badge number 1 suit and hung him by the neck from one of the main mast yardarms the bear must have taken a lot of photos! it was reported in Russia that the Royal Navy were hanging sailors at Sea! lol. When we got back to Guzz there was a black MOD car waiting on the jetty which took our skipper ( Zip Nolan) away!!
He did come back but we never heard if he got a jovial pat on the back or a bollocking!