HMS Northumberland has more trouble from a Russian warship

Best on the Box choice for February 7th…

HMS Northumberland is deployed off the west coast of Ireland and receives intelligence that a Russian warship has been spotted heading towards Faslane, the home of the British Trident submarine base. There’s concern that if it gets too close to Faslane, it could pick up details of some the UK’s nuclear secrets.

Northumberland is dispatched in an attempt to head off the Russians. Captain Thom Hobbs locates the Russian warship, a massive anti-submarine destroyer. In an attempt to get the destroyer to alter its course, the captain takes the decision to drive Northumberland towards it. The Russian captain responds with a warning, but Northumberland outmanoeuvres him and blocks the Russian warship, stopping it from getting any closer to the UK.

Northumberland’s Merlin helicopter is launched to try to find out more about the Russians and their mission, and it sees them throwing mysterious objects into the water. On board, a new junior doctor joins the crew, her first assignment at sea. And senior members of the crew begin to investigate rumours of what initially appears to be a bad cold sweeping through the ship. The crew receive the news they’ve all been fearing — that Covid has found its way on board.

Cleaning efforts increase and the crew begin to segregate into their cabins to try to stem its spread. As Covid cases increase, a young engineer becomes seriously ill and the crew need to find a way to get him off the ship and into the nearest hospital. It isn’t long before the most of the crew are infected and the deployment hangs by a thread…

Warship: Life at Sea, Channel 5, 9 pm