The United Kingdom and Norway have signed a historic defence pact to operate a combined fleet aimed at hunting Russian submarines in the North Atlantic. The agreement, called the Lunna House Agreement, also focuses on protecting critical undersea infrastructure, including communication cables and energy pipelines, which officials say are increasingly targeted by Moscow.

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Purpose of the UK-Norway Naval Alliance

Under the pact, the Royal Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy will operate British-built Type-26 frigates in joint anti-submarine operations. The collaboration comes amid rising Russian naval activity, with the UK Ministry of Defence reporting a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters over the past two years.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the deal “historic”, emphasizing its importance for safeguarding UK communications, energy networks, and national security.

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RAF Lossiemouth Visit and Briefing

The announcement coincided with the visit of Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre to RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland. During the visit, the two leaders were briefed by maritime patrol crews tracking Russian vessels, including the spy ship Yantar, which has been accused of pointing lasers to disrupt RAF pilots.

Russia claims that Yantar, operated by its Ministry of Defence, is an oceanic research vessel, though Western intelligence suspects it is mapping undersea cables. The UK heavily relies on these cables to transmit data and maintain critical oil and gas pipeline operations with North Sea partners such as Norway.

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Lunna House Agreement and Capabilities

Named after a Shetland Isles base used by the Norwegian resistance in World War Two, the Lunna House Agreement is backed by a £10 billion UK-Norway warship deal signed in September.

Key components of the alliance include:

• Joint fleet operations: At least 13 anti-submarine warships (five Norwegian) will patrol the North Atlantic and monitor Russian naval activity.
• Undersea infrastructure protection: Ships will safeguard communication cables and oil/gas pipelines critical to UK energy and data networks.
• Joint training and war gaming: Royal Marines will train in Norway to operate in sub-zero conditions, enhancing Arctic operational capabilities.
• Advanced weapons integration: UK frigates will adopt Norwegian Naval Strike Missiles capable of striking enemy ships over 160 km (100 miles).
• Development of unmanned systems: Both nations will collaborate on motherships and uncrewed mine-hunting and undersea warfare platforms.

Defence Secretary John Healey highlighted the need for strong alliances and hard power:

“In this new era of threat and with increasing Russian activity in the North Atlantic, our strength comes from hard power and strong alliances.”

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Strategic Importance of the North Atlantic

The North Atlantic is a vital corridor for UK and European security, hosting undersea cables, pipelines, and key shipping lanes. Attacks on these assets could cause catastrophic disruption to financial, communications, and energy systems, according to the UK National Security Strategy Committee.

The UK and NATO allies have expressed increasing concern over Moscow’s potential threats to underwater infrastructure, particularly in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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Criticism and Defence Preparedness

Despite the agreement, the UK Ministry of Defence has faced scrutiny for relying heavily on US defence resources and lacking sufficient readiness to protect UK waters and overseas territories from military threats. The new alliance with Norway aims to address these vulnerabilities by strengthening NATO capabilities in northern Europe.