DEFENCE

BRITAIN’S new fleet of submarine-hunters will work alongside Norwegian forces as a deterrent to the Russian threat.

Britain and Norway will combat the resurgent threat from Russian naval forces by sharing facilities for new Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA).

The “significant increase in Russian submarine activity” means NATO naval forces are at particular risk in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea.

The UK will take delivery next year of the first nine P-8A aircraft, at a cost of around £3billion.

Norway is buying five of them in a move that reflects the “changing security environment” in the North Atlantic, according to a statement jointly signed by the UK, Norway and the US.

The UK aircraft will be based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, with operational and logistical support extended to the Norwegian planes.

The plan to share facilities comes in the wake of comments by Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, that increased Russian naval activity in the Atlantic “shows the increasing aggression [and] increasing assertiveness of Russia”.

He said the Royal Navy had responded 33 times to Russian warships approaching UK territorial waters in 2017 compared with just once in 2010.

The decision in 2010 to scrap Britain’s MPA capability was subsequently reviewed in light of Russia’s military actions in Georgia and Ukraine, according to a spokesperson for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The UK is investing in nine P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.

“The change of gear in the relationship with Russia meant filling the gap [in MPA capability] in the 2015 Defence Review was a significant priority.”

Submarine hunting skills had been retained in the RAF by embedding personnel in the US, Canada, Australian and New Zealand armed forces. The decision was taken in 2015 to revive a sovereign British maritime patrol capability.

Submarines are the most potent part of the Russian navy.

The fleet consists of about 60-70 vessels and only a handful could pose a problem for NATO naval forces. The P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and shipping interdiction, along with an electronic signals intelligence role.

This involves carrying torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons.

The Poseidon’s search radar is optimised for detecting small objects on the surface of the sea, such as submarine periscopes, as well as larger surface contacts. And it deploys sonobuoys to help detect submarines.

A spokesperson for Norway’s Ministry of Defence previously stated: “Norway and the UK are natural partners given our shared values, as well as our history and geography.”