English: Type 42 destroyer HMS York (background) escorts the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in International Waters close to the UK. The Type 42 destroyer sailed north from her home port of Portsmouth and first observed the Admiral Kuznetsov north east of the Orkneys in the early hours of Monday, 12 December 2011. She remained in close company with the Admiral Kuznetsov and her supporting task group, consisting of a destroyer, two frigates, two tankers and an ocean-going tug, whilst they were in the vicinity of the UK. The Admiral Kuznetsov and her task group were believed to be deploying to the Mediterranean for exercises and training. The aircraft carrier is 999 feet (304m) long and displaces around 55,000 tonnes. It is the first time she had deployed near the UK for a number of years and HMS York's presence continued to demonstrate the Royal Navy's commitment to maintaining the integrity and security of UK waters. The Admiral Kuznetsov task group was within the international waters of the Moray Firth sheltering from poor weather.