Debunking Seymour Hersh's Alta-Class claims

Every single Alta and Oksøy class ship in the Norwegian Navy was accounted for during the period where Seymour Hersh claimed one was used to plant the charges on the Nord Stream pipeline.

The following information has also been added as an update to my original post on Seymour Hersh’s article.

After listening to new interviews with Seymour Hersh, I decided to track down every Alta and Oksøy class ship in the Norwegian Navy during the BALTOPS22 exercise in June 2022.

In an interview with Democracy Now!, Hersh is asked about the ship he claims was used and the denial by the Norwegian government that it was present. After a detour where he talks about Nicaragua, Hersh states “It was called the Alta, the ship was there. I mean that is just such a stupid lie.” Hersh doubles down on the statements from his original article.

The last time the Alta actively moved under its own power and used its AIS (Automatic identification system) was on 9th November 2012 at 09:24 UTC when she docked at Haakonsvern Naval Base for the last time. Here she was moored until 29th June 2022.

Sentinel 2 imagery of Haakonsvern Naval Base

On the 29th June 2022, she was towed to Norscrap West AS, along with the Oksøy-class M341 Karmøy to be scrapped. The ships were picked up from Haakonsvern Naval Base by the tugs KNM Mjolner (MMSI: 259047000) and Sleipner (MMSI: 259046000) and towed the 14km north to Norscrap WestAS early on the 29th June 2022.

MarineTraffic track of the KNM Mjolner (MMSI: 259047000) and Sleipner (MMSI: 259046000) during the transport of M350 Alta and M341 Karmøy

They arrived at Norscrap West AS a few hours after they left Haakonsvern Naval Base and the process of scrapping the ships began. On the below Sentinel 2 imagery you can see the ships on the 30th June, after having arrived the day prior. On the 22nd July the two ships are still visible at the same location. The day after on 23rd July, ship photographer Alf Kåre Aasebø would photograph the two ships at Norscrap West AS.

Sentinel 2 imagery of Norscrap WestAS

Image of the M350 Alta and M341 Karmøy on July 23rd 2022 at Norscrap West AS © Alf Kåre Assebø

If we argue that Hersh misspoke and means one of the other ships in the Alta or similar Oksøy class, we need to also look at those. Only 2 Oksøy-class ships and 2 Alta-class ships are in service with the Norwegian Navy. These are the Oksøy-class ships the KNM "Måløy" and KNM "Hinnøy", as well as the two Alta-class ship the KNM "Otra" and KNM "Rauma".

Each of these ships can be accounted for during the period of BALTOPS22.

KNM Hinnøy:

The KNM Hinnøy took part in BALTOPS22. Its AIS tracks for the period of the exercise though show that the KNM Hinnøy was never in immediate vicinity of the sites of the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. The long track without course changes next to the two NS1 leaks is consistent with the ships reported speed. There are 62 minutes and 8.6 nautical miles between the two course changes. The tracks are also very consistent with no periods where the ship is “out of contact”. No evidence of any abnormal AIS activity or “spoofing”.

MarineTraffic track of KNM Hinnøy

Available satellite imagery has been able to corroborate parts of the KNM Hinnøys AIS track, which further reduces the chance that there has been any “spoofing”. At 6 locations during the BALTOPS22. exercise a ship matching the size of the KNM Hinnøy was pictured by satellite imagery in the exact location where AIS data showed the KNM Hinnøy was. There is no evidence that “spoofing” of the AIS data was used at any time during BALTOPS22.

MarineTraffic AIS track with overlayed locations where AIS data matched satellite imagery.

The 6 instances where Sentinel and Landsat passes showed a ship matching the dimension of the KNM Hinnøy at the exact location of the AIS track

The distance between the two KNM Hinnøy AIS course changes by the Nord Stream 1 leaks is 8.6 nautical miles, the time between the points is 62 minutes. A trip out over the two leak locations would and down to the next AIS course change would be 17.1 nautical miles, which would need to be covered in 62 minutes, including the dive times.

At this time the KNM Hinnøy was traveling in formation with 3 other NATO warships and 1 non-NATO warship, the Estonian EML Sakala (M314), the Finnish MHC Purunpää, the Swedish HSwMS Vinga (M75) and the Dutch HNMLS Willemstad. These ships likely would have noticed if the KMN Hinnøy had shut off AIS and then left the formation at full speed towards the location the Nord Stream 1 leaks.

MarineTraffic AIS track shows KMN Hinnøy in a 5 ship formation with 4 other NATO ships when it passed the location of the NS1 leaks

The KMN Hinnøy remained in the same formation with the other NATO ships as it passed the location of the Nord Stream 2 leak. Here the Hinnøy would have only had 29 minutes to sail 20 nautical miles, including dive times, in order to return to the location of the next AIS course changes.

MarineTraffic AIS track shows that the KMN Hinnøy remained in the same formation as they passed the location of the Nord Stream 2 leak.

On 14th June the KMN Hinnøy spent some time approximately 9 nautical miles north of the Nord Stream 2 leak as part of the exercise. Again the KMN Hinnøy spent the entire time in close proximity to the other vessels that were part of the exercise.

MarineTraffic AIS data shows that the KMN Hinnøy consistently travelled in close proximity to other NATO vessels during this time.

KNM Måløy:

The KNM Måløy only traveled a few short trips around Bergen during the month of June 2022. No trips where made anywhere near Bornholm. The Måløy can also be confirmed as being at Haakonsvern Naval Base at the time its AIS data shows using satellite imagery.

MarineTraffic track of KNM Måløy

Zoomed out view showing KNM Måløy track

KNM Otra:

The KNM Otra only traveled from near Flåm to Haakonsvern Naval Base during the month of June 2022. No trips where made anywhere near Bornholm. The Måløy can also be confirmed as being at Haakonsvern Naval Base at the time its AIS data shows using satellite imagery.

MarineTraffic track of KNM Otra

Zoomed out track of KMN Otra

The satellite imagery that is available where the location and time of the ships coincided with a satellite pass and clear skies is consistent with the AIS data. All evidence points to there not having been any AIS spoofing and the ships actually being at the same positions as AIS data suggests.

KMN Rauma:

The KMN Rauma spent the entirety of the BALTOPS22 exercise timeframe undergoing maintenance at Umoe Mandal. She arrived at the facility on 31st January 2022 at 07:30 UTC after having departed Haakonsvern Naval Base the day prior. She remained here until 19th October 2022 when she left the facility 14:12 UTC.

MarineTraffic track of KNM Rauma

The above data means that every single Alta or Oksøy class ship in the Norwegian Navy was accounted for during BALTOPS22, with none of them being in a position to have placed the explosives on the Nord Stream pipeline as claimed by Hersh.

Since I posted my original article, I had a short email correspondence with Seymour Hersh, unfortunately he stopped replying once I asked him about several of the above mentioned inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies.

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