British Defense Minister John Healey, right, shook hands with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik during the signing of a defense treaty at 10 Downing Street in London Thursday. Pool Photo by Andy Rain/EPA
Dec. 4 (UPI) — Britain and Norway have signed a pact to protect the North Sea from Russian submarines, the United Kingdom government announced Thursday.
The Lunna House Agreement allows the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy to operate an interchangeable fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates. The pact is in response to a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening U.K. waters in the past two years, the British government said.
The two countries are concerned that those vessels could threaten undersea cables. There are also oil and gas pipelines connecting Britain to Scandinavia.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey and Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik signed the agreement at 10 Downing Street Thursday.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre to RAF airbase Lossiemouth in northern Scotland Thursday to visit U.K. and Norwegian troops working together and thank them for their service over the Christmas holiday, a press release said.
The men will also hear from P-8 maritime patrol aircraft crews who have been tracking Russian vessels operating in U.K. waters, including the Russian intelligence ship Yantar, detected last month on the edge of U.K. waters north of Scotland.
The Yantar has been accused of pointing lasers at RAF pilots. It’s operated by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, but Russia describes it as an oceanic research vessel. It’s been tracked in European waters and is suspected of mapping undersea cables.
Building eight new British and five Norwegian Type-26 frigates is at the heart of the agreement. The U.K. government said the shipbuilding portion will support over 4,000 high-skilled British jobs.
The new ships will monitor Russian movements between the U.K., Norway and Iceland.
The deal also allows the two countries to participate in war gaming, the use of Sting Ray torpedoes built in the U.K. and Royal Marines training in Norway for sub-zero temperature fighting.
“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,” Starmer said. “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, we’re boosting security, supporting thousands of U.K. jobs, and showcasing Britain’s world-class shipbuilding on the global stage.”
The pact is named for the Lunna House in the Shetland Isles. It was the headquarters of the Norwegian resistance during World War II.