Royal Navy's Type 23 frigate HMS Portland tracks Russian warships.

According to information published by the UK MoD on March 14, 2023, the Royal Navy is escorting a Russian task group in waters close to the UK.
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Russian frigate Admiral Kasatonov and British Type 23 frigate HMS Portland. (Picture source: UK MoD)

HMS Portland deployed from Plymouth to track Russian Gorshkov-class guided missile frigate, Admiral Kasatonov, and support tanker, Akademik Pashin.

The British Type 23 frigate shadowed the Russians through the English Channel as they headed towards the North Sea – after watching every move they made as they sailed north through the Bay of Biscay.

The Admiral Kasatonov of Russia’s Northern Fleet has been operating in the eastern Mediterranean since early 2022, amid Russia’s illegal invasion in Ukraine, while Akademik Pashin was in the region later in the year.

Portland with her specialist Merlin helicopter embarked – both equipped with cutting-edge sonars, sensors, and torpedoes for specialist operations – are reporting on the movements of the Russian ships.

The Russians passed through the Strait of Gibraltar last Wednesday and NATO warships have escorted them throughout their journey.

About the HMS Portland

The frigate is a class of naval vessels with a displacement of 4,900 tons (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons). Measuring 133 meters (436 ft 4 in) in length, with a beam of 16.1 meters (52 ft 10 in) and a draught of 7.3 meters (23 ft 11 in), these frigates are designed for various maritime operations.

Powered by a CODLAG propulsion system, the Type 23 frigate features four 1510 kW (2,025 shp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators, two GEC electric motors delivering 2980 kW (4,000 shp), and two Rolls-Royce Spey SM1C engines providing 23,190 kW (31,100 shp).

This combination enables the frigate to achieve speeds in excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) and a range of 7,500 nautical miles (14,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h).