Anti-submarine Warfare Aircraft spotted over Penrith on route to search Irish Sea

Two weeks ago a Russian spy vessel was seen just miles from UK coast leading to a Navy undersea cable showdown on Britain's doorstep with a Russian spy ship forced out of the Irish Sea after it was spotted over critical subsea cables just miles from the West Cumbria Coast.

On Monday RAF aircraft which specialises in anti-submarine warfare was spotted flying over Penrith on route to what appears to have been a search in the Irish Sea of waters around the Isle of Man were multiple deep-sea communications cables between the UK and Ireland are located including the Isle of Man Submarine Cables that run from Millom out along the coast from Cumbria to the Isle of Man.

The Boeing Poseidon MRA1 is a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.

On Monday afternoon, one of the nine Poseidon planes based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland was recorded in a search mode over the Irish Sea

A second Poseidon was also spotted flying over the area in the Irish Sea en-route back to Lossiemouth.

The incidents of the Cumbria coast come just weeks after deep sea cables were cut connection connecting Finland to Germany and another between Lithuania and Sweden.

And today the Head of UK National Cyber Security Centre said that “the severity of the risk facing the UK” from hostile nations “is being widely underestimated”.

“Actors are increasingly using our technology dependence against us, seeking to cause maximum disruption and destruction.”

“Last week, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster warned about the aggression and recklessness of cyber activity we see coming from Russia. And with our partners, including at the NPSA, we can see how cyber attacks are increasingly important to Russian actors, along with sabotage threats to physical security, which the director general of MI5 spoke about recently.”

“And yet, despite all this, we believe the severity of the risk facing the UK is being widely underestimated.”