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Warship Life in the Royal Navy S02E01 MY5 H 264
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00:06Hello and welcome to His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport, here in Plymouth.
00:11For hundreds of years, this place has been a home to the Royal Navy,
00:15and around half the nation's fleet is based here.
00:20This is a remarkable place.
00:22Thousands of servicemen and women pass through here every week.
00:26There are billions of pounds worth of warships and weapons, and enough food to feed a Navy.
00:33And then there's the staff and crew who live in and around the base.
00:41We're here at a time of serious international tension, when the Royal Navy has never been busier.
00:47And they've given us access across the fleet.
00:55You feel it reverberating through your whole body.
01:00You feel like you can reach out and touch that.
01:02That is wild.
01:04Just off our bow is a Russian submarine.
01:09Throughout these special programmes, we're lifting the lid.
01:12What are you doing?
01:14On what life is really like in Britain's Navy today.
01:18I'm sure you tied that tie correctly before being dragged through a hedge.
01:21You sound like my mum.
01:22Get out of here, fair move, come on.
01:24These boys are fit.
01:26This is a different league within a different league.
01:28I do feel in very safe hands.
01:31Thank you very much.
01:35This is Warship.
01:37Life in the Royal Navy.
01:40Coming up on this episode...
01:42Good morning.
01:43I'm Lucy.
01:44Welcome to HMS RNG.
01:45Thank you very much.
01:47I step on board a British warship for the very first time.
01:52Brushing a kilo cross, look.
01:53Two, four, eight.
01:54And end up involved in one of the most amazing dramas of my career.
02:00Now, so we've definitely got her.
02:02This doesn't feel like making telly anymore.
02:05Suddenly this feels like I'm completely out of my depth.
02:20Hello and welcome to a brand new series of Warship Life in the Royal Navy.
02:26We're on board HMS St Albans, which is moored here in Devonport, the Royal Navy base in Plymouth.
02:32This place will be our home throughout the series as we take you on a journey across the length and
02:38breadth of the Royal Navy.
02:40But actually, we're going to start the series with something a little bit special, aren't we, Kate?
02:44We are, because I have to confess, before I started working on this series, I had literally no idea what
02:53life on a warship was like.
02:55So when I stepped for the very first time onto HMS Iron Duke, what I didn't expect was that I
03:02would end up being part of a mission to find a Russian nuclear-capable submarine that was reported to be
03:10in danger of exploding.
03:12What followed was such an extraordinary story, we've actually dedicated this entire episode to it.
03:19So sit back, relax, and watch this story unfold.
03:34The Royal Navy has granted me special access to learn about how life at sea works by living on a
03:41warship at sea.
03:44Good morning.
03:45Hiya, good morning.
03:46I'm Lucy, welcome to HMS Iron Duke.
03:49Thank you very much, I'm Kate.
03:50It's amazing to be here.
03:52Yeah, welcome.
03:52You just follow me this way.
03:55For the next few days, HMS Iron Duke is going to be my home.
04:00This Type 23 frigate is over 130 metres long and weighs nearly 5,000 tonnes, which means I've got my
04:08work cut out, getting my bearings.
04:14So Kate, the first hurdle you're going to come across is getting down the ladder.
04:18Right.
04:18So the way we teach it for safety is to go down facing the ladder.
04:23Okay.
04:23So opposite to what you would expect.
04:25So just so you can grab onto the handles and go down this way.
04:29Okay.
04:31Helping me settle in is 25-year-old sub-lieutenant Lucy Bell, who knows this ship like the back of
04:37her hand.
04:39Gosh, the treads aren't very wide.
04:41Gosh, the treads aren't very wide, are they?
04:42Has everyone in the Navy got size three feet?
04:44You'll get used to it as we go.
04:47So now we've reached to deck.
04:50Okay.
04:50So this is the corridor that runs all the way through the ship.
04:54So if you ever get lost, this is where you're going to go.
04:57So literally from back all the way to the front.
05:00Absolutely, yeah.
05:01Gosh, the scale of it is quite extraordinary, isn't it?
05:05Yeah.
05:05Well, this is kind of where you get to see the most of it.
05:07But where we're going to be saying is forward, so we're just going to go this way.
05:10Okay.
05:12How many people are on board?
05:14So at the moment, fully stocked up with air crew and with additional personnel, we've got about 200 to 220
05:21people.
05:21Okay.
05:23So as we go down here, you're going to get the galley on the left.
05:26Okay.
05:27This is where all of our food is prepared.
05:29We've even got our own shop.
05:31Wow, so it really is a kind of almost like a floating village.
05:35You're completely self-sufficient.
05:37Yeah, for sure.
05:38There has to be enough stuff to keep us going whilst we're away at sea for long periods of time.
05:43So we're going to be just in here to the left.
05:45Okay.
05:49Unlike the rest of the 200 or so crew on board, I have no idea what I'm letting myself in
05:54for.
05:57And this is where we're going to be staying.
05:59Oh, wow.
06:01So this is your bunk here that's all made up fresh for you.
06:04So there's going to be four of us in here.
06:05Just three of us for now.
06:06So are all the sleeping quarters like this sort of basically four people to a cabin?
06:13So actually most of the accommodation will be triple stacked bunks and they are split up into their own messes.
06:21A mess is a designated area for crew members to socialise and sleep in.
06:26Some of the crews share bunk spaces with up to 45 people.
06:29So I'm lucky to be getting one of these four berth cabins.
06:34So this really is luxurious.
06:37For sure.
06:37This is the cream of the crop accommodation.
06:42But before I unpack, I've been told to report to the captain.
06:47So this is the bridge.
06:49Everybody knows exactly what they're doing.
06:51Everybody seems to know exactly where to be.
06:53Which on a ship with this size, it just feels incredibly impressive and quite reassuring.
07:03We're basically at the stage, I think, of being about to leave port.
07:09The captain's here and I'm desperate to talk to him, but he's quite busy.
07:14Oh, hello.
07:14David.
07:15How are you doing?
07:15Lovely to meet you.
07:16Can I grab you just for ten seconds?
07:19To leave port, which sounds like quite a sort of fundamental and simple thing to do,
07:24is actually quite complicated.
07:26Yeah, the truth is the ship's company have been getting ready for this,
07:29and we're going to leave in about five, ten minutes' time.
07:31They've been getting ready since about four o'clock this morning.
07:35HMS Iron Duke has spent most of the last year on operations
07:39to protect Britain from Russian warships, submarines and spy vessels.
07:44The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate.
07:48And at any time since the Cold War.
07:52Russia has a fleet of vessels, and they're being used to map possible sites for sabotage
07:57if the conflict with the West increases.
08:00Iron Duke's mission is to head out to sea and hunt down any Russian vessels
08:05that stray too close to UK waters.
08:09Intercepting them before they get too close
08:11is the sole responsibility of Captain David Armstrong.
08:16If we get word that there was a Russian ship or a submarine or anything of that nature
08:20coming through UK waters, then we'll be activated to go and escort it.
08:29In the last 12 months, we've escorted 25 Russian ships through UK waters,
08:33and we've been activated at short notice about 18 times.
08:37And when you say you're escorting a ship, that sounds quite friendly.
08:44But if they're Russian ships, presumably they're enemy.
08:48So, for us, the trick is for it to be safe and professional.
08:52It's not enough to hope that they won't get up to no good.
08:54We have to be there to make sure they can't.
08:59As we head out to sea, I have to admit to a sense of trepidation.
09:03I had no idea Russian vessels were so active this close to the UK,
09:08or that HMS Iron Duke was the British warship ordered to protect our waters.
09:20With nothing but open sea in front of us,
09:23who knows what or who we might be about to encounter.
09:45HMS Iron Duke is in the North Sea
09:48on orders to hunt for any Russian vessels
09:50straying close to UK waters.
09:56I'll see you, CRO, DC, state 3 condition, yak.
10:02With a hungry crew of over 200 on board,
10:06some of the hardest working people on this ship
10:08can be found in the galley.
10:15Now, you may think that the most important person on board
10:20is the ship's captain, but you'd be wrong.
10:25Because Lenroy is the most important person on board.
10:29How are you?
10:29I'm not so bad, not so bad.
10:31Galley manager Lenroy Gill oversees a team of eight chefs.
10:35He's responsible for menu creation, quality control,
10:38and ensuring each service runs on time.
10:42How long have you been the chef on Iron Duke?
10:46So I've been with the Iron Duke just over here now.
10:49Okay.
10:50Yeah.
10:51And you're feeding, at the moment,
10:53over 200 people three meals a day.
10:57That is correct.
10:58And am I allowed to get a sneak preview of what's for lunch?
11:02Yes, you would.
11:03You would definitely.
11:04It's turkey cabana for lunch today.
11:06Wow.
11:06Hasn't been started yet because I'm going to do that in a bit.
11:08Okay, okay.
11:09All right.
11:10Well, put me to work if you'd like me to.
11:12Sure, let's go.
11:14Leading lunch service today is 25-year-old chef Keanu,
11:19one of the ship's newest recruits
11:21and known to his mates as Shorty.
11:24So how long have you been a chef on board?
11:28I've been cooking on board for about four months now,
11:31recently joined.
11:32Okay.
11:33And why the Navy?
11:35Traveling.
11:36Traveling?
11:37Yeah, and I like to travel,
11:38so that's as a plus for me as well.
11:40So you do it like a, it looks like a dance,
11:43and I look like I'm stabbing it.
11:48How about your mum?
11:49Does she miss you?
11:51She misses me a lot.
11:52I bet she does.
11:53Especially my grandparents as well.
11:55Yeah.
11:55Sometimes I call my grandma,
11:57she's like, she's praying for me.
12:00The crew don't have long to eat lunch.
12:05Before heading straight back to work
12:07in the ship's maze of compartments.
12:11Hi.
12:11Hello.
12:12Can I come in?
12:13Welcome.
12:14After my stint in the galley,
12:16I've made my way to two-deck
12:17at the back of the warship
12:19to explore a 30-man sleeping compartment,
12:22one of the tightest on board,
12:24with able seaman David Brennan.
12:27So tell me what this area is here.
12:30So this is the 30-man mess.
12:32Every day from 3.30 onward,
12:35we have a set of departmental cleaning,
12:38the minute we would clean our mess decks
12:39because it's very important to make sure
12:43where we're living is it can expand
12:45and making sure we're on top of our own living space.
12:49Well, shall we do a little inspection
12:50to see if everyone's doing the right thing?
12:52Show me around.
12:53Each mess is broken up into bunk spaces,
12:57toilets, shower rooms,
12:59and a small recreational area
13:01where the crew can enjoy some downtime.
13:05Is there a kind of pecking order
13:07as to who gets the bottom bunk,
13:09who gets the middle and who gets the top?
13:11So every ship has its own sort of routines.
13:14On here, it's pretty much a mixing match.
13:16Yeah.
13:17A lot of lads come and go throughout the year.
13:20Okay.
13:20So we just kind of,
13:22if we know there's a pit available,
13:24we'll...
13:24You call them a pit, do you?
13:26Yeah, so the nickname is, like,
13:28someone's pit, yeah.
13:29I love the fact
13:30that you've got your own do-vacars.
13:33Do you bring them from home?
13:34We do, we do.
13:36And what about all your stuff?
13:38Does everything have to fit into a locker and...
13:41Everyone gets one locker and an overhead.
13:43Right.
13:43And essentially,
13:45we'll have to live with what we have.
13:47Let's have a look at it.
13:50Oh, yeah, that's very ordered.
13:52Probably not this one
13:53because it's got some stuff on there,
13:55but that's all mess banter.
14:03Do you make sure it's in...
14:05It's ship-shaped before the kind of formal inspection?
14:08Oh, 100%.
14:08It's important.
14:09As I said, it's the little things that matter.
14:12It's our own little space in itself,
14:14so you want to make sure
14:16you're looking after it.
14:17Yeah.
14:26What's your name, lads?
14:27J there, captain speaking.
14:30As some of you will have been tracking,
14:32a Russian submarine has departed the Mediterranean
14:34as trapped by her own Gibraltar squadron
14:37and is accepted heading back towards UK waters.
14:41We had a call earlier today
14:43from the Maritime Operations Centre
14:45telling us to intercept the Russian submarine
14:47and shadow it as it transits through UK waters.
14:50We'll, of course, keep you posted
14:52as the situation develops
14:53and as the timeline unfolds.
15:01A nuclear-capable Russian submarine
15:04has been spotted heading for UK waters
15:07en route to St. Petersburg.
15:10Intelligence suggests it's suffering mechanical issues
15:14and could be at risk of exploding.
15:16This new era of threat demands a new era for defence.
15:22Since the war in Ukraine began,
15:25relations with Russia have deteriorated.
15:28The presence of one of Putin's submarines
15:31in UK waters cannot go unchecked,
15:34so HMS Iron Duke has been ordered to intercept.
15:40I'm not really sure how to react to this news.
15:47You know, it's fascinating to see how a ship works
15:52and to discover what everybody does,
15:54but this now feels like almost I'm intruding
15:58on a really important naval operation,
16:06one that is diplomatically incredibly sensitive.
16:12And suddenly this doesn't feel like making telly anymore.
16:16Suddenly this feels like I'm in a situation
16:19where I'm completely out of my depth.
16:22And if we do see this submarine,
16:26I have no idea how I'm going to react to it.
16:28But I do definitely at the moment feel a little bit like
16:33I'm in with the grown-ups and I'm not grown-up enough.
16:38I'm hoping Captain David Armstrong will be able to tell me more.
16:45Hi, David. Thank you.
16:47And there's one big question on my mind.
16:50Is it dangerous?
16:51You know, it's inherently dangerous
16:53in that it's a nuclear-capable Russian submarine.
16:57We think it might have some mechanical issues.
16:59Right.
17:01Which probably increases the risk a little bit.
17:04And how does that impact you?
17:06If it were to break down and, God forbid, sink on the south coast,
17:12that would be an environmental catastrophe.
17:14So that's just another factor for us to consider.
17:16We've got a Russian submarine going through the Dover Straits.
17:21Yeah.
17:22You know, that feels like an act of aggression to me.
17:26I totally understand.
17:26The problem we've got is, or the problem I've got specifically,
17:29and we have as a command team,
17:30is if I make a tactical mistake,
17:32it could have strategic consequences.
17:35What does that mean?
17:36I don't wish to be sensationalist,
17:38but if I was to interfere with a Russian submarine
17:44on an innocent passage,
17:45I could start a war by accident,
17:47without wishing to be flippant.
17:49Yeah.
17:50But if I don't act in a professional manner,
17:54and professional manner is all that's required here,
17:56we just need to make sure that they can't interfere
17:58with our interests.
18:00This is basically it.
18:02This is it.
18:03This is what we've been trained to do.
18:14This is CXA with your evening cigarette pipe.
18:18As you can tell,
18:19the weather has increased over the last four hours,
18:22and we're looking at a sea state six in the coming 12 hours.
18:27This is as storm Amy batters the UK.
18:31The weather is going to pick up again
18:33as we push out into the English Channel.
18:35As Iron Duke heads urgently round the southeast coast
18:39and towards the Russian submarine,
18:41a huge storm now stands in its way.
18:46Storm Amy has swept into the UK,
18:48bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
18:50An amber wind warning remains in place
18:52for parts of northern Scotland,
18:53and 60,000 homes are without power across the country.
19:01As storm Amy begins to bite,
19:03the waves outside Iron Duke are building.
19:10It's actually rather beautiful in a terrifying way.
19:14Oh, this is going to be a big one.
19:15Oh, my goodness.
19:18I can't help but wonder
19:20if waves of this size
19:22will make the hunt
19:23for the damaged Russian submarine more difficult,
19:26or if the storm will further increase
19:29the chances of it exploding.
19:54HMS Iron Duke is heading along the English Channel
19:57to intercept a badly damaged Russian submarine
20:01with nuclear capabilities.
20:07But Storm Amy is currently battering most of the UK and the ship.
20:20Oh, my God.
20:22You need to fit very well.
20:23It's like six metres.
20:28Our sea state ramped up through the night,
20:32and the ship has just been pitching and rolling,
20:36but drew the curtains
20:38and pretended I was anywhere
20:40but out at sea in a false eight gale.
20:45Do you hear that?
20:46Navigating officers speaking.
20:47Compartment custodians are to ensure
20:49that their compartments are secured for Sea State 7.
20:52That is all.
20:55Despite the difficult conditions,
20:57the senior officers must focus on the mission,
21:01finding the Russian submarine.
21:04Relax, please.
21:06The purpose of this brief
21:08is to get the general detail down
21:10to make sure that we have
21:11all the building blocks in place.
21:14I'm heading down to the ops room
21:17because the captain has invited me
21:20to a special briefing with all the heads of department.
21:29Captain, sir, team,
21:30our primary contact of interest
21:31is Russian Federation Navy Kilo-class SSK
21:35subsurface killer submarine.
21:37Sir, she has a diesel-electric engine configuration
21:40designed to make her difficult to track and quiet.
21:43Her length is 72.6 metres.
21:46Good look out for officer
21:47that watches on the bridge spotting her.
21:49And she has a formidable armament
21:50of heavyweight torpedoes,
21:52calibre missiles.
21:53Sir, these calibre missiles
21:54can be land attack
21:55and surface-to-surface ship capable.
21:59You're full of good news.
22:00Good brief.
22:01Thanks very much.
22:02Sir, over the course of the next 24 hours
22:04we are going to conduct an RV
22:05with the contacts of interest
22:07and then transit east
22:08and we'll continue to escort them
22:10to our UK area of responsibility
22:13eastern limit
22:14where we will then hand over
22:15to other NATO allies.
22:19Once they find the Russian sub,
22:21HMS Iron Duke will try to understand
22:24how badly damaged it really is
22:26before following it wherever it goes
22:29until it no longer poses a threat to the UK.
22:35Hello, Captain. How are you?
22:36How's it going? How are you doing?
22:37Good. Yes.
22:38Yeah, so that briefing was fascinating.
22:43Oh, good.
22:43A little bit terrifying.
22:45It shouldn't be terrifying.
22:47There will be an uptick in energy
22:50when we do the intercept.
22:52Yeah.
22:52Certainly in the warfare teams
22:53in the ops room.
22:54Yeah.
22:54They'll be laser-focused as we intercept.
22:59Possibly vessel there in 325 distance 1912.
23:02The ops room is the control centre
23:04for the ship's weapons and radars.
23:06It's run by Principal Warfare Officer Tom Adlam.
23:10So you are Head of Operations.
23:12Correct.
23:13And this is your domain.
23:14It is, yeah.
23:15Our unconventional office space.
23:17So the operations room
23:18in the heart of the ship.
23:20Tom and his team will likely be the first
23:23to locate the Russian submarine.
23:25If the situation becomes heightened,
23:30is this where you put together
23:32the kind of the right response?
23:35I mean, I suppose I'm hedging my bets here,
23:37but if you had to fire any weapons or anything,
23:40is that controlled from here?
23:41It is. It is.
23:42And that would be mine
23:43and the other Principal Warfare Officer's role,
23:46responsibility, when we're down here.
23:48These will be my seats.
23:49Okay.
23:49The captain will sit here.
23:51Right.
23:51And we'll maintain oversight,
23:52and we will essentially fight the ship
23:55in support of the captain's aims and objectives.
23:58Yeah.
23:58In order to make sure
23:59that she maintains the fighting edge.
24:02Yeah.
24:02And be at the tip of the spear.
24:06Outside the warship,
24:08Storm Amy has finally cleared.
24:11Set course to starboard 085.
24:16Nothing now stands in the way
24:18of HMS Iron Duke performing her mission.
24:21More information on the condition of the Russian sub
24:24has just been shared with the crew.
24:27We are now sailing on a course
24:30to intercept the Russian submarine.
24:33The submarine, which has the capability
24:35of carrying nuclear warheads,
24:38is partially flooded by diesel.
24:41And if that's the case,
24:43then it has the potential to explode.
24:45The search for the submarine continues,
24:48but with an added frisson of danger.
24:54Iron Duke is closing in on the Russian submarine,
24:58which is currently positioned
24:59off the northwest coast of France,
25:02heading east into the English Channel.
25:07At times like these,
25:09the crew often turn to a friendly face,
25:11and I think I could do with one of those too.
25:17Tina?
25:18Hello.
25:18Are you here?
25:19I'm reporting for duty.
25:20Hello there.
25:21How are you?
25:22I'm good, thank you.
25:23And you?
25:23Yes, I'm all right, thank you.
25:25Tina Clift is the civilian manager
25:28of the ship's onboard shop,
25:29known as the Naffy.
25:32I'm always very busy.
25:33The lads come here sometimes
25:34not to buy stuff just for a chat.
25:36Yeah.
25:36So it's quite nice
25:37because it's like just that break from work.
25:39Okay.
25:40And if people are sad,
25:42sometimes they come
25:42and they just have a chat
25:43or they knock and come in and sit down
25:45and we just...
25:45Because I think it's important
25:47and we call this the happy place.
25:49This is the no-judgment zone.
25:50So no one's allowed to judge
25:52what anyone else is buying
25:53because people need to do
25:55what they need to do
25:55to get through a day.
25:56Yeah.
25:57And we have a positivity ball
25:58which gets shaken to death.
26:00So what do you do
26:01with the positivity ball?
26:02So you literally ask it a question,
26:03shake it, turn it upside down
26:05and then it gives you
26:05some sort of answer at the bottom.
26:09So you're opening...
26:10Now.
26:12Right now.
26:12They'll tell you what they want.
26:14Okay.
26:14You bring it to me
26:14and I scan it.
26:15Okay.
26:16And then we've got to put it in a basket.
26:17Oh, look, here they are.
26:18Shut up, darling.
26:20Right, come on then, chaps.
26:21What are you after?
26:23Can I get a pack of
26:24hard-brush strawberries, please?
26:26Is it one of your five a day?
26:28Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
26:31100%.
26:36Are you all right?
26:37How are you, Joe?
26:37I'm good, you?
26:38Yeah, I'm all right.
26:39I'm all right.
26:40How are you feeling?
26:41All right, great.
26:43What question are you asking?
26:45I'm not getting home this weekend.
26:50That's all right.
26:50It's not giving me a fair amount of time.
26:52Give it a chance.
26:53You keep shaking it too much.
26:54Let it rest for a minute.
26:56Oh, no.
26:57What does it say?
26:58Patience pays, eh?
26:59I don't think it's shaky.
27:03Here you go, darling.
27:06So, when there's no Wi-Fi
27:09and no connection home,
27:12is your little corner of the ship
27:14kind of even more important?
27:16It is, and I don't think
27:17they would manage without it.
27:19So, do they come for the chocolate
27:20or do they come for you?
27:21Maybe a bit of hope.
27:22I'm hoping.
27:24Who knows?
27:29Just continue to look at the organic sensors
27:32and just make sure that we're able
27:33to pick her up as early as possible.
27:37The Russians are believed
27:39to have now entered the English Channel,
27:41just a few miles ahead
27:43of HMS Iron Duke's position.
27:46OK, so how are we looking?
27:47In the ops room,
27:48Tom and his team
27:49have their eyes trained
27:51on the radar screens,
27:52trying to pinpoint
27:53the sub's exact location.
27:57Possibility that it's, what,
27:585354?
27:595354.
28:02Have the bridge got anything
28:03visual at this moment, Tom?
28:05No, we don't, sir.
28:18The team has spotted
28:19something on the radar.
28:21248, bracket associates,
28:23Russian killer class sub, 248.
28:25It could be the Russian sub,
28:27but visual confirmation
28:28is also needed.
28:315354, roger.
28:32OK, uninformed with captain.
28:37On the bridge,
28:38the crew scour the horizon.
28:45There she is.
28:48Bearing 283.
28:51All positions,
28:52hostile ops.
28:53Search to investigate.
28:54Unknown contact.
28:55Bearing 283.
28:57Distance, 7 nautical miles.
28:59All reports on route line 2.
29:03Yep.
29:04Navesworth definitely got her.
29:07That's her.
29:08Right, Naves.
29:10Take station at standard distance
29:13astern of the SSK.
29:15All right, sir.
29:15Check quarters.
29:17Let's start, mate.
29:19Navigating officer speaking.
29:21Due to our proximity to the unit,
29:23we will be shallalooing.
29:24Assume head state red.
29:27I'm not sure I can describe how surreal this feels.
29:32Just off our bow,
29:35barely a mile away,
29:36is a Russian submarine.
29:41Around 35 nautical miles
29:44off the north coast of France
29:45at the mouth of the English Channel,
29:47HMS Iron Duke finally has eyes
29:50on the Russian vessel.
29:52Next course is clear,
29:54visually take the ship in hand.
29:55And begin to immediately follow it.
29:58The crew must now maintain
30:00a 24-7 watch
30:02over Putin's forces.
30:07So now that this submarine
30:09is under your watch...
30:11Yes.
30:11..what happens with the ship?
30:13You know, what changes
30:15as far as you and the ship's company
30:17are concerned?
30:18I mean, this is our day job.
30:21You know, all of our sensors
30:22are being constantly watched
30:24to give us a really good situational awareness.
30:27We know exactly where the submarine is,
30:29we know exactly what it's doing.
30:30It's transiting on the surface.
30:32But, of course,
30:33it's not enough to hope
30:33that that will be the case.
30:35We have to be here to make sure
30:36that it can't do anything other than that.
30:40Submarines would never surface
30:42unless there's no other option.
30:45The damage inside must be severe
30:47for them to give away their position.
30:51That's pretty interesting, isn't it?
30:53That guy looks like he's got a camera.
30:55We're watching them,
30:56they're watching us.
30:58It's definitely...
30:59When are we just out there?
31:00Before they were facing us
31:01with the bar noise.
31:02Well, I would imagine
31:03that's probably their CEO.
31:07Can you gather intelligence
31:08from a submarine in this situation?
31:11Yeah, certainly.
31:12So we'll use our embarked helicopter
31:14to do what's called an int look.
31:15So we will take the opportunity
31:17because it's entirely within our gift
31:18in our own backyard
31:19to take some photographs
31:21and just make sure
31:22we understand what's going on.
31:26To gather more intelligence,
31:27HMS Iron Duke's Wildcat Helicopter
31:31is being launched in the direction
31:33of the Russian sub.
31:34Take it all the way in there.
31:36Armed with a high-definition,
31:38long-range camera...
31:40Captain.
31:41Relax, please.
31:43It's the ideal tool
31:45for gathering intelligence
31:46on the Russian submarine.
31:49Initially, it'll be an inlet on the kilo.
31:51For the bridge team,
31:52you're going to have to do
31:53some jiggery-pokery
31:53with your current course and speed.
31:54We're very heavy
31:55with full fuel
31:56and a lot of pack.
31:59One, two, three, four...
32:01The pilots must get close enough
32:03to capture clear images
32:05to learn how badly damaged
32:07the submarine is.
32:09I'm just going to come to a gentle hover
32:11ahead of the submarine.
32:12But without causing
32:14an international incident.
32:34HMS Iron Duke is in the English Channel
32:37just a few miles
32:38off the coast of the UK.
32:40425, 1-2-0-3-0.
32:41425, 1-2-0.
32:43Tracking a damaged Russian submarine
32:46that's been forced to surface
32:47and is now heading east.
32:50It's not going to look up.
32:50Good eyes on the kilo.
32:52If she alters or does anything strange,
32:54flash reports.
32:55With the nuclear-capable submarine
32:57believed to be at risk of exploding,
33:00a collision with another vessel
33:01could be disastrous.
33:03So the ops room are monitoring
33:05every single ship in the area.
33:09What are we actually looking at here?
33:11What are we seeing?
33:12So, on the screen at the minute,
33:14what we've got,
33:15us is in the very centre.
33:17So we have a particular course
33:18that we're steering,
33:19which is indicated by the arrow here.
33:21Yeah.
33:22And what we have is a series of contacts
33:24around in our vicinity.
33:25So we'll be monitoring
33:26all of the civilian traffic
33:27as well as all military contacts
33:29in the area.
33:30But then you've also got the submarine
33:31and it is the job of the team behind us
33:34to interpret all of that information.
33:37So they would be looking at
33:39that merchant ship
33:41and working out whether it might
33:44end up on a collision course.
33:46Yeah, absolutely.
33:47It feels like this ship is staying,
33:50you know, quite a distance from her.
33:53I imagine that you would be right there.
33:56So we want to give her
33:58enough space to operate safely.
34:00Right.
34:01So what we will do
34:01is not come any closer than two miles.
34:05Right.
34:05That's absolutely necessary.
34:06Yeah.
34:07But if we need to,
34:08we can be right on top of her
34:09in a matter of minutes.
34:10Yeah.
34:11This ship can be
34:12very, very quickly turned
34:14from a general purpose frigate
34:15into a submarine hunting unit.
34:17And presumably they know that too.
34:19They do.
34:24It's a diplomatic show of strength.
34:29We're here.
34:31Don't mess around
34:32because if you do,
34:34there'll be trouble.
34:35Correct.
34:42Midship, start 10.
34:43Midship, start 10.
34:46Back on the bridge,
34:48Sub-Lieutenant Officer of the Watch,
34:50Alex Field,
34:51has been given a delicate task.
34:53I think it's a,
34:54I think it's a yacht.
34:55Yay.
34:57Yeah, it's not a warship.
34:58It didn't have the mast.
34:59It doesn't have any weapons.
35:00So it's a yacht.
35:0525-year-old Alex
35:06is in charge of tracking the Russians
35:08through the Dover Strait,
35:10one of the busiest shipping lanes
35:12in the world.
35:15I know it's famously busy,
35:17but there are a lot of ships out there.
35:19There's a lot of shipping
35:20and it presents,
35:22it's a unique challenge
35:23following a Russian submarine
35:26because it's quite low to the waterline.
35:28She's not displaying
35:29on any identification software.
35:33So that means no other ships
35:35would be necessarily aware
35:37that she's there.
35:38Unless they're specifically
35:39looking at their radar,
35:40they won't see her.
35:41Right.
35:41She'll also be really,
35:42really small on radar.
35:43And we're lucky
35:44because we know she's there.
35:46Yeah.
35:46But a lot of people won't.
35:49With the Russians
35:50keeping a low profile
35:51in a busy shipping lane,
35:53Alex must stay in radio contact
35:55with other vessels in the area
35:57to warn them
35:58about the submarine's presence.
36:00Hello.
36:21As the transit past Dover continues,
36:28the wildcat is back
36:30from its reconnaissance mission.
36:36We've now gathered imagery
36:37on the vessel of interest
36:39and with help from the squadron
36:40of 825,
36:42we've been able to get
36:43really good imagery
36:44as well with my assistant,
36:45A.B. McCarthy.
36:46Having one of Moscow's subs
36:48on the surface presents
36:49a rare opportunity
36:51to get some close-up pictures.
36:54And here's a really good photo
36:56of the Conning Tower
36:57and this time
36:58with a third mast
36:58we can see up
36:59as well as a better shot
37:00of that Russian ensign.
37:03And interesting to see
37:04that she hasn't got
37:04a navigational radar up, sir.
37:06So from initial interaction,
37:08we can notice
37:09she isn't using
37:10a navigational radar,
37:11which is interesting
37:11in such a busy shipping lane.
37:13Yeah.
37:14So the purpose
37:15of these initial photos
37:16is that by gathering
37:18these images
37:18we can make quite
37:19a lot of assumptions.
37:20For example,
37:21if they're using
37:22their diesel engines
37:23on the surface,
37:23the chances are
37:24they're not going to dive.
37:25That's really useful
37:26information for us.
37:27The fact that they're not
37:28using a navigational radar,
37:30again,
37:31that's really important for us
37:32because we're going through
37:33some of the busiest
37:34shipping lanes in the world.
37:36Is this all really
37:37useful material long term?
37:40There's a lot of
37:41much more detailed analysis
37:42that we'll do
37:42based on these photographs
37:44that we can't really
37:45discuss on camera.
37:47So the purpose
37:47of these initial images
37:48is just to inform
37:50what can we learn
37:51just by looking
37:52at the submarine
37:53that will make
37:54our job easier.
37:55We'll learn what we can.
37:57Yeah, this is exactly
37:58the right thing to do.
37:59Yeah, and clearly
38:00quite a good photographer.
38:01Yeah, indeed.
38:02Good job.
38:13Whilst the bridge
38:14and ops room
38:15keep an eye on the Russians,
38:19below decks
38:20for most of the crew,
38:21their jobs remain unchanged.
38:24Hey, Shorty.
38:25Hello.
38:26The only difference is
38:27that this close
38:28to a Russian submarine,
38:30mobile phone use
38:31is prohibited.
38:33Now that none of us
38:35can have our phones on
38:36and there's no communication
38:37at all
38:38with the outside world,
38:40is it even more important
38:41to do sort of good food
38:43to keep morale up?
38:44We try our best
38:45to give them a boost as well.
38:47And how's everybody
38:48in the kitchen doing?
38:49Is everyone okay?
38:51Yeah.
38:51Does it feel weird
38:53to know
38:54that there is a
38:55Russian submarine
38:56just there?
38:57It's a good feeling
39:02that we're doing something
39:03for the king as well
39:05and the entire royal navy.
39:08Do you think their food
39:09is as good as yours?
39:10No, they ain't.
39:12Definitely not.
39:16Yeah, I'm happy
39:17it's drawing right for us.
39:19Is it drawing right
39:20for the submarine as well?
39:25As HMS Iron Duke
39:27begins to emerge
39:28from the Dover Strait
39:29and head out
39:30of the English Channel,
39:31she's being met
39:32by a group
39:33of foreign warships.
39:36So suddenly
39:37we seem to be
39:40kind of surrounded
39:41by other vessels.
39:42Are these all friendlies?
39:44Yeah, so we're getting
39:44to the north
39:45of the Dover TSS now.
39:46Right.
39:47You know, to the bit
39:47where our responsibility ends.
39:50We've got two Belgian
39:52patrol vessels
39:54that have now joined
39:54the shadow.
39:55Right.
39:56And then we've got a Dutch
39:56patrol vessel
39:57who is going to take it
39:58over formally from us.
40:00Iron Duke's NATO allies
40:02will continue tracking
40:03the Russians
40:03all the way back
40:04to St. Petersburg.
40:06They're perfectly placed
40:07to take this escort.
40:08It starts to head east
40:09up towards the entrance
40:10to the Baltic.
40:17Is there symbolism in it all?
40:19I think there's probably
40:20symbolism for the submariners
40:22on the Russian submarine.
40:24You know, if I was
40:25on that submarine,
40:26that would speak volumes
40:27to me of a group of ships
40:29not from the same nation,
40:30but all singing
40:32off the same hymn sheet.
40:36We'll give it a few more minutes
40:38and then we'll bring on
40:39a gas turbine
40:40and get home.
40:48With other NATO warships
40:49taking over the escorting duty,
40:52Iron Duke can head back
40:53to Plymouth
40:54for some well-earned R&R.
40:56Our part in this operation
40:58is now finished.
40:59Navs?
41:00Sir?
41:00Increase max,
41:01take us home.
41:02Start the port gas turbine
41:03and engage pilot
41:04going to push up.
41:10That roaring sound
41:11behind me
41:12is the gas turbine
41:13being turned on.
41:14That means the ship
41:15is turning away
41:17from the submarine
41:18and heading home.
41:20We're waving goodbye
41:21to the Russians.
41:23Roller angle correct.
41:25Ship's head coming to port.
41:27That's it?
41:28That's it.
41:28Job done.
41:29That is it.
41:31The priority now
41:32is to get the ship's company
41:33home to their families.
41:35Yeah, yeah.
41:35And I've missed
41:36my 17th wedding anniversary
41:37so I desperately need
41:39to get home
41:39and I need a haircut.
41:45It's been an eventful time
41:47on HMS Iron Duke.
41:48I was only supposed
41:49to be on board
41:50for three days
41:51and it ended up
41:52being nearly two weeks.
41:54So this really is luxurious.
41:57For sure.
41:57This is the cream
41:58of the crop accommodation.
41:59I've witnessed a crew
42:01receive urgent new orders.
42:03To be prepared
42:04to intercept
42:05the Russian submarine
42:06as it translates
42:07through UK waters.
42:09Survived Storm Amy.
42:16And watched in awe
42:17as a nuclear-capable
42:19Russian submarine
42:20was hunted down.
42:22Two-four-eight.
42:23Back in the sausage.
42:24Russian kilo-clothed sub.
42:25Two-four-eight.
42:27Yep.
42:28Now we've definitely got her.
42:29Throughout this whole experience
42:31I've been struck
42:31by the professionalism
42:33and camaraderie
42:34of the men and women
42:35on board.
42:36There we go.
42:38Who faced
42:38every challenge head on.
42:41Sir, these caliber missiles
42:42can be land attacked
42:43and surface-to-surface
42:45ship capable.
42:47You're full of good news.
42:48This is an experience
42:50that will live with me
42:51forever.
43:01Wow.
43:02What a journey.
43:03I mean,
43:04welcome to the Royal Navy.
43:07I know.
43:07I mean,
43:07I seem to have spent
43:0830 years looking for badgers
43:09and now I've graduated
43:11to being a submarine hunter.
43:13Wow.
43:13Amazing.
43:14And a massive thank you
43:16to the crew of HMS Iron Duke.
43:18Not just for the job
43:18that they did
43:19but also for taking
43:20such good care
43:21of your lovely self.
43:22They were amazing.
43:23Thank you all.
43:24Yeah, well,
43:25there's plenty more
43:26like that to come.
43:28Next time,
43:30Kate delves
43:31into the top secret world
43:32of Royal Navy submarines.
43:34We're going to have
43:35to stop filming
43:35for the moment.
43:36And becomes
43:37the first television presenter
43:38to be invited on board
43:39a nuclear-powered
43:41hunter killer.
43:42I've been given
43:43permission
43:44to take you
43:45and the team
43:46down our submarine.
43:47Wow.
43:48Our intrepid reporter
43:50Dwayne Fields
43:51uncovers the story
43:52of how the Royal Navy
43:53helped keep Britain's
43:54hopes alive
43:55in World War II.
43:56Those supply lines
43:58were crucial.
43:59Yes,
44:00Britain may have
44:00faced starvation.
44:02That's it,
44:02JJ,
44:03nice and quick then.
44:04And one year
44:05after failing
44:05the commando endurance test,
44:07I wasn't tough enough
44:08to get the job done.
44:09I make my return
44:10to the Royal Marines
44:11Commando Training Centre
44:12to give it one last try.
44:14Final straight now,
44:15final straight.
44:16All the way to the end,
44:17all the way to the end.
44:17But will I make it?
44:20Don't even think
44:21about missing it.
44:22See you then.
44:23Bye-bye.
44:23Bye.
44:23Bye-bye.
44:51Transcription by CastingWords
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