A NATO spy ship and the Russian tank landing ship Georgiy Pobedonosets within meters of each other in Øresund

The Georgiy Pobedonosets and Navigator facing each other in Øresund. A Danish
fishing vessel is observing the meeting.

This afternoon the Polish Navy's "spy ship" Navigator (its international call sign is SPWY!) and the Russian Navy's Ropucha class tank landing ship Georgiy Pobedonosets were within shouting distance from each other in Øresund, close to Helsingør.

The Navigator is slowly going southwards, while the Georgiy Pobedonosets (112.5 m x 15 m)
 is going "full steam" northwards.

A closer look at the Russian landing ship.

The Navigator most certainly had a great opportunity to test its brand new state of the art optoelectronic recognition and the integrated communication and navigation systems.


The Navigator in a foggy and rainy Øresund.

In January the Naval Shipyard Gdynia reported about the modernization of the
74 m x 12 m Navigator:

On January 29th 2013 the Naval Shipyard Gdynia completed the modernization and installation of the supplemental outfitting  on the vessel of radioelectronic recognition „Navigator”.

The modernization was a very difficult challenge for the Shipyard in hitherto realized projects.

The scope of work commissioned by the Customer included the execution of the vessel’s modernization in the entire range of the equipment ...All systems and devices from the vessel as well as its interior were dismantled and exchanged in 95% for the new ones.

It was necessary to execute technical and constructional documentation by the Shipyard which was indispensable to support new needs of the vessel as well as purchase of devices and materials in the full range of the systems and equipment’s exchange.

Modern systems of the optoelectronic recognition and the integrated communication and navigation system were installed.

The Georgiy Pobedonosets did not have its AIS on when it was going northwards in the Sound, which is why its destination remains unknown at this stage. A year ago the Georgiy Pobedonosets was one of the ships that Russia sent to the Mediterranean in connection with the crisis in Syria.

Five NATO navy ships in Øresund

The small NATO flotilla on its way northwards in the Sound

Last night a small "Baltic" navy flotilla made its way northwards through the Øresund. The ship crews from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania must have enjoyed the beauty of the Nordic summer evening ...

The modernised Sandown-class minehunter EML Admiral Cowan (M313) was the first ship in the flotilla. She used to serve as the former HMS Sandown lead ship of her class of the Royal Navy. The ship is now part of the Estonian Navy. 

This is the Latvian Naval Forces´ VIDAR class minelayer Virsaitis (A53). The ship, which was built in 1978 for the Royal Norwegian Navy, was previously called Vale. 

The LKL Sūduvis (M52) is a minehunter of the Lithuanian Naval Force. It was built already in 1957 as Koblenz (M1701), a Lindau-class minesweeper for the German Navy. Germany donated the minehunter to Lithuania in 1999. 

This is the Latvian Storm-class Fast Patrol Boat LVNS Lode (P02). Originally she was one of the 20 Storm-class vessels built for the Royal Norwegian Navy. In 1995 Norway donated three of these boats to Latvia. 

The Lithuanian patrol boat Dzukas (P12) is the former Royal Danish Navy Flyvefisken class multirole vessel Hajen. The Hajen and her sister ship Lommen were delivered to the Lithuanian Navy in 2010.