Royal Navy helicopters scramble to intercept Russian spy ship off coast of Scotland

Royal Navy helicopters scramble to intercept Russian spy ship off coast of Scotland The ship was closely monitoring NATO warships taking part in Exercise Strike Warrior, a NATO exercise led by the Royal Navy that included 2,000 personnel and NATO aircraft A Russian spy ship has been intercepted by the Royal Navy off the coast of Scotland. The ship was closely monitoring NATO warships taking part in Exercise Strike Warrior - a multinational NATO military exercise led by the Royal Navy which involved more than 2,000 personnel, eight warships and 19 aircraft from six NATO nations. The Russian vessel was tracked between September 29 and October 8. The operation - Operation Iceblast - saw Merlin helicopters deployed at short notice from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland. Through their powerful sensors, the helicopters kept track of the Vishnya-class intelligence-gathering ship called Viktor Leonov in the Outer Hebrides, the Royal Navy has announced today. Captain James Hall, the commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, said: "I am immensely proud of the efforts of our people, who have once again demonstrated that the UK is prepared to respond to immediate operational requirements. This tasking was part of a wider series of operations, known collectively as Operation Iceblast, which was designed to test the ability of Merlin Helicopter Force to deploy away from its home base of RNAS Culdrose in force and at short notice. "This operation has been a critical means for demonstrating to ourselves, our adversaries and the nation that we are willing and capable of securing the homeland 24/7. The Merlin Helicopter Force stands ready to answer the call at a moment's notice." This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads or visit The Mirror homepage.