UK's gaps in Arctic defence leave it open to Russian attacks, committee warns
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A UK carrier conducts operations in the High North and Arctic The UK has "glaring gaps" in its ability to defend the Arctic region, leaving it vulnerable to potential Russian attacks, a report by MPs has warned.
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The Commons Defence Committee said a shortage of Royal Navy warships and submarines was leaving the country's critical infrastructure in the High North, including undersea cables and energy supplies, exposed.
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In the event of a conflict, the report added that Russia could threaten the UK's population, civilian and military infrastructure and vital supply routes across the Atlantic from the US.
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it is "clear-eyed about the threat Russia posed" and is investing heavily to protect Britain's undersea cables.
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Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously warned that Russia could attack Nato by the end of the decade.
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The High North - which includes the Arctic circle and areas adjacent to it - has become central to the UK's defence concerns in recent years.
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Earlier this year, the MoD said Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic is now back to the same levels as the Cold War era.
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In the new report, MPs highlighted a "shockingly low availability" of submarines and said there was a temporary loss in ability to operate them beneath Arctic ice.
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"Russia can then use the ice to conceal and protect its own submarines while threatening Nato sea lanes, UK critical infrastructure and the UK's nuclear deterrent," it added.
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Chair of the Defence Committee, Tan Dhesi, said: "This is a demanding, hostile environment, and one that our greatest adversary, Russia, is seeking to dominate for military advantage."
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The work to address these gaps "cannot start soon enough," he added.
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In light of uncertainty over US support for Nato, the report said the UK should consider whether the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force (Jef), a UK-led military coalition of northern European nations, should focus more on the High North.
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An MoD spokesperson said the Jef was already "strengthening Nato's northern flank and increasing our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats".
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Conservative shadow minister for war readiness Stuart Anderson said: "If Nato could be at war with Russia as soon as 2030, as the former prime minister warned, that means time is just as important as money.
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"To deter war we must be ready for it, that means spending money now, not kicking the can down the road until it's too late".
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