A Royal Navy warship and a Russian submarine collided in the North Atlantic, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
HMS Northumberland had been sent to the icy waters 200 miles north of Scotland to track a Russian hunter-killer submarine amid fears it could tamper with undersea cables vital for the internet and communication.
In what is believed to be the first direct hit between the two nations’ navies since the Cold War, the submarine hit the array sonar which the vessel was trailing behind its hull.
The sonar — a cable featuring hydrophones — is used by the navy to pick up sounds from nearby submarines.
Navy experts suggest that a British warship detecting the submarine would be a “concern” for the Russian military who rely on stealth to access the North Atlantic.
“It would be a concern for them but it comes down to the circumstances and what was in the submarine commander's mind,” said Richard Scott, the naval expert at Jane's Defence Weekly told The National. “Was he being quite deliberate or was he caught completely unawares? Or did he have a level of spatial disorientation?”
The incident demonstrated that the “anti-submarine cat and mouse game that was very much part-and-parcel of the Cold War is clearly back with us,” he added.
It also demonstrated that despite being in service for 28 years, the Type 23 frigate was still highly capable. “They are still really good sub hunters,” Mr Scott said. “The towed sonar is excellent and these warships are very, very quiet so their noise hygiene means that they're still very highly regarded.”
The frigate was forced to abandon the 48-hour mission and head back to port to repair the device, which had been dragged across the submarine’s hull.
The collision, which the MoD said took place in “late 2020”, was caught on camera by a Channel 5 TV crew as part of the show Warship: Life At Sea.
After chasing the submarine through the night, a crew member says “we are closing the range on that” as he seeks to make their presence known to the Russians.
“We are very close [to the Russians,] we are probably parallel. If they were on the surface we would definitely see faces,” says Commander Thom Hobbs.
Suddenly, the ship is jolted and one person asks “what the [expletive] have I just hit?” as an alarm sounds in the background.
It is believed the Russian submarine crew were aware of the presence of the Navy in the waters but Navy sources said the collision was an accident.
The Russian hunter-killer submarine is likely to have been either an older Akula class or one of the two new Yasen hunter-killers that became operational in 2013.
A spokesman for the MoD confirmed the crash.
“In late 2020 a Russian submarine being tracked by HMS Northumberland came into contact with her towed array sonar,” he said.
“The Royal Navy regularly tracks foreign ships and submarines in order to ensure the defence of the United Kingdom.”
Earlier this week it emerged that the UK's Defence Academy had been hit by a sophisticated cyber attack — possibly by Russia or China.
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
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Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
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Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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