Britain and Norway will begin joint naval patrols to safeguard undersea cables and track Russian submarines, the U.K. government announced Thursday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre for defence talks.
Officials said a combined force of at least 13 vessels will operate in the North Atlantic to “hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure,” amid growing concerns over maritime security.
The move follows a £10 billion ($13.4 billion) agreement in August for Norway to purchase at least five British-built frigates. Those ships will work alongside eight Royal Navy vessels along NATO’s northern flank.
The two countries’ defence ministers formalised the pact in London on Thursday, which also includes a commitment for the Royal Navy to adopt Norwegian-made missiles for its surface fleet.
Starmer and Støre were expected to continue discussions at 10 Downing Street before travelling to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to meet British and Norwegian crews monitoring Russian naval movements. According to U.K. officials, Russian activity around British waters has risen by 30% over the past two years.