THE Royal Navy will send two warships to intercept a heavily-armed Russian aircraft carrier travelling dangerously close to British waters.
Nato forces and maritime patrol aircrafts have been sent to monitor the Admiral Kuznetsov warcraft and seven vessels, including a nuclear-powered cruiser, as it closes in on British waters.
Britain no longer has its own surveillance planes due to cut-backs in funding.
HMS Duncan and HMS Richmond are set to be deployed if the Russian ship, which is travelling to war-ravaged Aleppo, enters British waters next week.
A defence spokesman said: “It is significant. We will track them through our area of interest.”
The exact route of the Russian warcraft is not known, as it could pass through either the North Sea and English Channel, the Irish Sea or around the West of Ireland.
If it does use the Channel, the Russian vessel would sail just one mile away from British shores.
On the deployment, a defence expert said: “It is standard air and sea business; ‘We know you’re there. You know that we know’.”
It is believed the 300metre-long ship will practise its method of attack on Syria just north coast of Scotland.
Fears have been raised by defence experts that any military testing from Russia could stray into Britain, meaning the RAF would have to disband any Typhoon jets.
Nato has been given control of monitoring the Russian warcraft and is set to give orders on deployment.
Britain no longer has its own surveillance planes due to cut-backs in funding.
HMS Duncan and HMS Richmond are set to be deployed if the Russian ship, which is travelling to war-ravaged Aleppo, enters British waters next week.
A defence spokesman said: “It is significant. We will track them through our area of interest.”
The exact route of the Russian warcraft is not known, as it could pass through either the North Sea and English Channel, the Irish Sea or around the West of Ireland.
If it does use the Channel, the Russian vessel would sail just one mile away from British shores.
On the deployment, a defence expert said: “It is standard air and sea business; ‘We know you’re there. You know that we know’.”
Fears have been raised by defence experts that any military testing from Russia could stray into Britain, meaning the RAF would have to disband any Typhoon jets.
Nato has been given control of monitoring the Russian warcraft and is set to give orders on deployment.
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