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What makes Russia’s new spy ship Yantar special? | What makes Russia’s new spy ship Yantar special? |
(1 day later) | |
The Russian navy is very proud of its new spy ship, the Yantar, which is now doing Argentina a favour by helping to search for a missing submarine. | The Russian navy is very proud of its new spy ship, the Yantar, which is now doing Argentina a favour by helping to search for a missing submarine. |
Argentina has given up trying to rescue the 44 crew aboard the ARA San Juan, which disappeared on 15 November. But it still wants to find the diesel-electric submarine. | Argentina has given up trying to rescue the 44 crew aboard the ARA San Juan, which disappeared on 15 November. But it still wants to find the diesel-electric submarine. |
Enter the Yantar, officially an oceanographic research vessel, but actually bristling with surveillance equipment, and the mother ship for manned and unmanned deep-sea submersibles. | Enter the Yantar, officially an oceanographic research vessel, but actually bristling with surveillance equipment, and the mother ship for manned and unmanned deep-sea submersibles. |
A Russian ROV - remotely operated underwater vehicle - is scouring the ocean floor off Argentina. | A Russian ROV - remotely operated underwater vehicle - is scouring the ocean floor off Argentina. |
But what else has the Yantar (Russian for "amber") been up to? | But what else has the Yantar (Russian for "amber") been up to? |
Targeting undersea cables | Targeting undersea cables |
The Yantar's movements were apparently what prompted a warning last month from the UK military that Russia could disrupt or cut vital undersea communications cables. | The Yantar's movements were apparently what prompted a warning last month from the UK military that Russia could disrupt or cut vital undersea communications cables. |
The chief of the UK defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, said such a strike against internet and other communications cables could be "catastrophic". | The chief of the UK defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, said such a strike against internet and other communications cables could be "catastrophic". |
Dozens of fibre-optic cables span the globe and Nato also has dedicated military cables on the ocean floor. | Dozens of fibre-optic cables span the globe and Nato also has dedicated military cables on the ocean floor. |
The Yantar is capable of tampering with them, says Igor Sutyagin, a London-based expert on the Russian military. But there is no evidence that it has done so. | The Yantar is capable of tampering with them, says Igor Sutyagin, a London-based expert on the Russian military. But there is no evidence that it has done so. |
"It's difficult to tap into optical fibres - it's just light inside, not electrical data," he told the BBC. "It would be easier just to cut the cable." | "It's difficult to tap into optical fibres - it's just light inside, not electrical data," he told the BBC. "It would be easier just to cut the cable." |
Mr Sutyagin noted that in the 1970s, during the Cold War, the US Navy had lost control of a Sosus undersea listening post for tracking submarines in the Atlantic. Sosus stands for "Sound Surveillance System". | Mr Sutyagin noted that in the 1970s, during the Cold War, the US Navy had lost control of a Sosus undersea listening post for tracking submarines in the Atlantic. Sosus stands for "Sound Surveillance System". |
The US military concluded that a Soviet submarine had cut the cables. | The US military concluded that a Soviet submarine had cut the cables. |
In the same period the US military, reports say, planted listening devices on Soviet undersea cables in the Sea of Okhotsk, where Soviet submarines were based. | In the same period the US military, reports say, planted listening devices on Soviet undersea cables in the Sea of Okhotsk, where Soviet submarines were based. |
A news report from the Russian parliament says the Yantar can do just such clandestine work, using deep-diving submersibles. | A news report from the Russian parliament says the Yantar can do just such clandestine work, using deep-diving submersibles. |
"The Yantar has equipment designed for deep-sea tracking, and devices that can connect to top-secret communications cables," said Parlamentskaya Gazeta (in Russian) last October. | "The Yantar has equipment designed for deep-sea tracking, and devices that can connect to top-secret communications cables," said Parlamentskaya Gazeta (in Russian) last October. |
Read more on Russia's military: | Read more on Russia's military: |
Mr Sutyagin, of the Royal United Services Institute, says the Yantar belongs to Russia's Main Directorate of Underwater Research (GUGI in Russian), part of the defence ministry. | Mr Sutyagin, of the Royal United Services Institute, says the Yantar belongs to Russia's Main Directorate of Underwater Research (GUGI in Russian), part of the defence ministry. |
The 108m-long (354ft) vessel has a crew of 60 and went into service in 2015. It was built in the Baltic port of Kaliningrad, the first in a series called Project 22010. A second, called Almaz, will soon be on its way to the navy. | |
Russia already has several older spy ships. In April, one of them, the Liman, sank off the Turkish coast after being breached in a collision with a freighter. All its crew were rescued. | Russia already has several older spy ships. In April, one of them, the Liman, sank off the Turkish coast after being breached in a collision with a freighter. All its crew were rescued. |
The Yantar can deploy the three-man submersibles Rus and Konsul, which can dive to about 6,000m (20,000ft). | The Yantar can deploy the three-man submersibles Rus and Konsul, which can dive to about 6,000m (20,000ft). |
Spying on the US | Spying on the US |
The Russian parliamentary report noted that in the summer of 2015 the Yantar had deployed near the US Kings Bay naval base in Georgia. | The Russian parliamentary report noted that in the summer of 2015 the Yantar had deployed near the US Kings Bay naval base in Georgia. |
"According to Pentagon officials, the Russians were gathering intelligence on US submarines' equipment, including underwater sensors in the DoDIN network," the Russian report said. | "According to Pentagon officials, the Russians were gathering intelligence on US submarines' equipment, including underwater sensors in the DoDIN network," the Russian report said. |
Kings Bay is home to six US Trident ballistic missile submarines, each of them armed with 24 nuclear missiles, naval-technology website reports. | Kings Bay is home to six US Trident ballistic missile submarines, each of them armed with 24 nuclear missiles, naval-technology website reports. |
Mr Sutyagin said the US underwater sensors near Kings Bay would be interesting for the Russian military, which might wish to copy the US technology. | Mr Sutyagin said the US underwater sensors near Kings Bay would be interesting for the Russian military, which might wish to copy the US technology. |
Pentagon concern about the Yantar's cable-cutting potential was reported by the Washington Times. | Pentagon concern about the Yantar's cable-cutting potential was reported by the Washington Times. |
In late 2016 the Yantar was found to be loitering over undersea communications cables off the Syrian coast, including some links to Europe. | In late 2016 the Yantar was found to be loitering over undersea communications cables off the Syrian coast, including some links to Europe. |
The ship's strange movements were tracked by a website called Covert Shores. The Yantar's frequent stops at points along a cable route suggested that a submersible was examining the sea floor, the report said. | The ship's strange movements were tracked by a website called Covert Shores. The Yantar's frequent stops at points along a cable route suggested that a submersible was examining the sea floor, the report said. |
Search and rescue | Search and rescue |
Besides the Argentina mission, the Yantar has been used previously for search and recovery. | Besides the Argentina mission, the Yantar has been used previously for search and recovery. |
The Russian parliamentary report said the ship had located two Russian fighter jets - a Su-33 and a MiG-29 - that crashed into the Mediterranean in 2016, during the Syria war. | The Russian parliamentary report said the ship had located two Russian fighter jets - a Su-33 and a MiG-29 - that crashed into the Mediterranean in 2016, during the Syria war. |
The Yantar "recovered secret equipment from the planes in good time", the report said. | The Yantar "recovered secret equipment from the planes in good time", the report said. |
That could be secret radar or missile data, or the "identification, friend or foe" system, Mr Sutyagin said. | That could be secret radar or missile data, or the "identification, friend or foe" system, Mr Sutyagin said. |
The disappearance of the Argentine submarine rekindled memories of Russia's Kursk submarine tragedy of 2000. | The disappearance of the Argentine submarine rekindled memories of Russia's Kursk submarine tragedy of 2000. |
In 2000 a ship like the Yantar might have saved some Kursk sailors' lives and literally salvaged the Russian navy's reputation. | In 2000 a ship like the Yantar might have saved some Kursk sailors' lives and literally salvaged the Russian navy's reputation. |
Mystery of ARA San Juan | Mystery of ARA San Juan |
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