Remember When Russian Diesel Submarines Chased Down A British Nuclear Sub?

Key Point: We’ll probably never know what happened.

Russian diesel subs chased a British nuclear sub off the Syrian coast, according to British media.

The incident reportedly involved one or two Russian Kilo-class diesel-powered submarines, which have been dubbed the “Black Hole” by Western navies because they are remarkably quiet. Their prey was a British Astute-class nuclear attack submarine.

“Two Russian frigates and an anti-submarine aircraft are also thought to have been searching for the British boat as it maneuvered to put its Tomahawk cruise missiles within range of Syrian military targets,” according to The Times of London.”The Astute-class submarine is believed to have spent several days trying to evade detection in a tense and dangerous contest.”

The British sub did not fire its Tomahawks during last week’s strike by American, British and French forces against Syrian chemical weapons sites, leading to speculation that the British boat was driven off by the Russian subs. The Kilo-class subs were reportedly based at Russia’s naval installation at the Syrian port of Tartus, said The Times, citing anonymous British military sources.

Indicating just how serious the incident was, U.S. planes flew cover over the British vessel. “The British submarine has been protected by the U.S. Navy, which began flying P-8 maritime patrol aircraft over the eastern Mediterranean last Wednesday to track Russia’s ships and subs,” The Times said.

“This is believed to be the first time an underwater duel has taken place in the build-up to [missile] strikes,” The Times added.

Russia’s Sputnik News site quickly trumpeted the incident, though it cited British media rather than the Russian military. “The Kilo-class Russian submarines, which carry an impressive arsenal of torpedoes, as well as cruise and anti-ship missiles, are considered by British military experts as a ‘considerable threat,’ Sputnik News added. “In comparison, the Astute-class British submarines have limited firepower and can carrying around 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles.”

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