Defence secretary reveals details of recent incursions as he warns UK is facing ‘new era of threat’ from hostile countries
A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, the defence secretary has said, as he warned the UK was facing a “new era of threat” from hostile countries.
John Healey told reporters on Wednesday the “deeply dangerous” move was being taken “extremely seriously” by the government, adding the UK would continue monitoring the ship and had “military options ready” should the vessel change course.
He said the surveillance ship had crossed in and out of the UK’s exclusive economic zone multiple times in recent weeks, not for the first time this year.
Two Canadian Air force pilots had to be medically discharged after a Russian ship caused permanent damage to their eyes with a laser a while back.
Fuck the Russians.
why are these ships not immediately impounded and the crew arrested?
Because warships — and bear with me now because this is quite the jargon — have weapons.
They fear a “diplomatic incident” that could escalate, I guess.
But Russia is already escalating like there’s no tomorrow; while I’m still against blowing them up, I do not understand why this ship isn’t now under British control. Unless they shoot first of course. It is tricky, but that trickiness is nothing new anymore and Europe should have come up with a strategy by now.
So just sink them.
Accidents happen.
Next please!
Capturing a warship is just as much an act of war.
Because our political classes are corporate-whore sociopaths, who possess zero leadership value beyond public speaking and rubber stamping the will of a borderless, lawless, criminally-corrupt oligarchy.
Oopsie gotta eject and where’s that airframe going? Oh my directly at that unsuspecting Russian warship? What shame.
Tempting I’m sure, but they would be sitting ducks in the water after ejecting. Not something the pilots would consider worth risking.
The one thing you don’t do is touch a us boat or a us pilot, if Russia did it would be on no questions asked.
The current president only likes service members who don’t get captured.
To be fair mc Cain is a liar loser with a over hyped story that ignores the major details that make it entirely his fault he was captured.
Still a shitty thing to say but you won’t ever find me standing up for McCain.
Even if they are in their own country? Not sure what specific instance is being referenced but the headline doesn’t say international water.
How are you expecting that to work? An RAF recovery boat every 100m around the coast?
The only people near them are the enemy ship filled with guns.
Presumably the enemy ship wouldn’t be there very long after the airframe full of munitions hit it.
How does a ground level radar even get in the pilots eyes?
Not sowing doubt, just curious what the attack vector is.
Laser is not radar.
High powered lasers don’t even have to hit the pilots in the eyes to do damage as they bounce off any reflective or semi-reflective surfaces in the cabin or windows and still enter the eyes with high enough energy to cause effect. Military lasers can be powerful enough that a very short burst does permanent damage to the retina even from hundreds of metres away. Laser weapons should be in the same category as mustard and sarin gas - a warcrime, but instead… all major powers are developing them.
Exactly the answer I wanted, not sure why people downvoted me over this.
Thnx!
Laser - pilots look down at the ship I guess.
Ty!