LOC21:17
18:17 GMT
LONDONG, Dec 4 (KUNA) -- A combined fleet of at least 13 warships, bolstered by autonomous systems, will hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic as part of new agreement, said Ministry of Defence Thursday.
The agreement comes as the Prime Minister and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Store visited RAF Lossiemouth on Thursday. During the visit, the leaders met UK and Norwegian troops working together, it said in a press statement.
The new Lunna House Agreement will see the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy operate an interchangeable fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates. It follows a 30 percent increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years.
At the heart of the agreement is the new joint fleet of Type-26 anti-submarine warfare frigates, eight British and at least five Norwegian, backed by the biggest British warship deal in history. The آ£10 billion deal between the UK and Norway, signed in September, is a major boost to British shipbuilding and supports over 4,000 high-skilled British jobs, it added.
Uk prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "At this time of profound global instability, as more Russian ships are being detected in our waters, we must work with international partners to protect our national security. This historic agreement with Norway strengthens our ability to protect our borders and the critical infrastructure our nations depend on."
"Through joint navy cooperation in the North Atlantic, weآ’re boosting security, supporting thousands of UK jobs, and showcasing Britainآ’s world-class shipbuilding on the global stage," he added.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey and his Norwegian counterpart Tore O. Sandvik signed the agreement at 10 Downing Street today. Following the signing, they visited the Maritime Capability Coalition in Portsmouth, a jointly led initiative focused on delivering vital training, equipment, and infrastructure to bolster Ukraineآ’s maritime operations and strengthen its ability to operate at sea.
For his part, UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP said, "In this new era of threat and with increasing Russian activity in the North Atlantic, our strength comes from hard power and strong alliances. When our critical infrastructure and waters are threatened, we step up.
"Through this Lunna House Agreement, we will patrol the North Atlantic as one, train together in the Arctic, and develop the advanced equipment that will keep our citizens safe now and into the future. We are stepping up on European security and delivering on our NATO-first plan," he added.
The powerful and advanced Type 26 warships will patrol the strategically vital gap between Greenland, Iceland and the UK, monitoring Russian naval activity and defending critical infrastructure such as underwater cables and pipelines, which carry vital communications, electricity and gas, he noted. (end)
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