The Hunt for the Red Kilo

On March 6, the Russian Navy Tug “Prof. Nikolay Muru” entered into Mediterranean Sea.

This tug is not traveling alone but it’s escorting a Russian Kilo-class submarine likely underway to Tartus, Syria.

In these days also the combat group of the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)  brings entered into the Mediterranean Sea and, even if they are now far away, it is a singular combination.

These days the movements of the Russian submarine have been closely followed by several USNavy Boeing P-8As, both based in Rota, Spain, and Sigonella, Sicily.

Yesterday an USNavy Lockheed EP-3E (160764) from Souda Bay AB followed the submarine’s transit of the Sicilian channel. At the same time, an Italian Air Force Beech 350 equipped with ISR sensors (MM62300) left Decimomannu AB to follow the transit of the Russian submarine.

Finally, today, an Italian Air Force ATR P-72A (MM62281) is also making a surveillance mission on the progress of the Russian convoy towards the eastern Mediterranean

Today in area
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2021-03-14
1055z ⏱️ 11:55 CET

🛩️ Italian Air Force 🇮🇹 P72 #MM62281 c/s #IAM4101 is making an 🛰️ ISR mission over Malta Channel:

Russian Navy ⚓️🇷🇺 Kilo-class submarine ‘escorted’ by 🚢 SB Prof Nikolay Muru 🇷🇺 Tug.#TheKiloFile https://t.co/9cOntIHX2f pic.twitter.com/23XXac3BKi

— Sergio Scandura (@scandura) March 14, 2021

UPDATE 15/03

Surveillance mission for a Hellenic Air Force Embraer EMB 145 AEW&C (757) from Araxos Ab over the area where is underway the Russian Navy Tug “Prof. Nikolay Muru”