UK and Norway Sign North Atlantic Defense Pact

Britain and Norway signed a landmark defense agreement on Thursday to establish joint naval patrols aimed at protecting critical undersea cables and pipelines from potential Russian threats in the North Atlantic. The pact, known as the Lunna House agreement, was formalized in London by UK Defense Secretary John Healey and his Norwegian counterpart, Tore Sandvik, during talks hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The agreement creates a combined fleet of at least 13 antisubmarine warships, including eight British vessels and at least five Norwegian frigates, to monitor Russian naval movements in the waters between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK. This initiative builds on a £10 billion deal signed in September, under which Norway will purchase British-built Type 26 frigates from the BAE Systems yard in Glasgow. The frigates, designed for submarine hunting, will operate jointly along NATO's northern flank, enhancing surveillance of seabed infrastructure vital for communications, electricity, and gas networks across both nations.

Officials from the UK Ministry of Defence reported a 30 percent increase in Russian vessel sightings in UK...