World War 3 alert: Royal Navy warship swarmed by 17 Russian fighter jets in Black Sea

The remarkable footage shows HMS Duncan being ‘buzzed’ by the Russian jets as it led a NATO fleet through the disputed region earlier this year. The government labelled the incident, which happened in May, an act of “brazen hostility”. In the footage, which was filmed as part of a Channel 5 documentary, Russian jets can be seen circling around HMS Duncan and the NATO fleet.

The jets, which are a mix of fighters and bombers, are shown coming so close to HMS Duncan the crew is worried their high-powered radars might scramble the jets’ computer systems causing them to crash.

Naval officers on the £1billion Type 45 Destroyer then issued a warning to the Russian pilots amid fears the planes might attack.

One communications technician told the Russians: “We are operating high powered radars. Request you remain outside of two miles for your safety.”

One Russian pilot gives a threatening replied “Good luck guys” before the jets return to their airbase.

The documentary, called Warship: Life at Sea and broadcast tonight, also shows one of Duncan’s 280 naval crew saying she thought the incident was Moscow trying to send a warning to NATO.

Commander Eleanor Stack, Duncan’s captain, said: “To me if felt unprecedented. There were more aircraft than we have seen in a long time.”

However another sailor believed Russia, despite the dangerous pass, would never have carried out an attack.

The sailor said: “They had 17 aircraft, we have 48 missiles – I think we’re going to win that one.”

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Over the past year, HMS Duncan and her crew have embodied the key role the UK plays in Nato.

“As Nato flagship, she has faced down brazen Russian hostility in the Black Sea with jets buzzing overhead.

“She has been stalked by Russian spy ships and played a vital role protecting Nato allies during the British, American and French strikes against Syrian chemical weapons facilities.

“Through her deployment, this world-leading ship and her crew epitomised the nation we are going to be as we exit the EU.

“A truly global Britain which is outward-looking and engaged on the world stage.”

Commodore Mike Utley, who was in charge of the NATO task force from HMS Duncan’s bridge, said: “This ship is probably the only maritime asset that has seen a raid of that magnitude in the last 25 years.

“I think their tactics are naive. What they don’t know is how capable the ship is.

“When you see that much activity, I think it reinforces the nature of what people expect at the moment and why there is a challenge from Russia.”

HMS Duncan, which launched in 2010 and is named after 18th century Royal Navy admiral Viscount Adam Duncan, is currently based in Portsmouth after carrying out the NATO naval operations in the disputed Crimean waters.