BBC:
The UK and Norway have signed a defence pact that will see them operate a combined fleet to hunt Russian submarines in the North Atlantic.
The deal is designed to protect undersea cables – which British officials say are increasingly under threat from Moscow – with a 30% rise in Russian vessels spotted in UK waters over the past two years, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Under the agreement, the navies from the two Nato member states will operate a fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the agreement “historic”, saying that it strengthens the UK’s ability to protect its critical infrastructure.
The announcement comes as Sir Keir welcomes his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Støre, to RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland on Thursday.
The two leaders will hear from maritime patrol crews who have been tracking Russian vessels, including the spy ship Yantar, which was recently accused of pointing lasers to disrupt RAF pilots.
Russia describes Yantar, which is operated by the country’s Ministry of Defence, as an oceanic research vessel. Western nations have often tracked it in European waters and they suspect part of its mission has been to map undersea cables.
Britain is heavily reliant on its network of undersea cables that carry data. There are also vital oil and gas pipelines connecting Britain to North Sea neighbours such as Norway.
