The UK has "glaring gaps" in its ability to defend the Arctic, leaving it vulnerable to potential Russian attacks, a report by the Commons Defence Committee has warned, BBC News reported. The committee said a shortage of Royal Navy warships and submarines was exposing critical infrastructure in the High North, including undersea cables and energy supplies.

Source: BBC News

In the event of a conflict, the report said, Russia could threaten the UK's population, civilian and military infrastructure and its vital Atlantic supply routes from the US. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said earlier this year that Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic is now back to the same levels as the Cold War era, the BBC reported.

MPs highlighted a "shockingly low availability" of submarines alongside a temporary loss of ability to operate beneath Arctic ice. "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," the report said.

Too few ships, committee says

There are currently five Type 23 frigates, which track down hostile submarines and protect the UK's nuclear weapons, and six Type 45 destroyers in service — just over half of the Royal Navy's requirement for 19 vessels, PA Media reported. Eight new Type 26 frigates will eventually take over, but with construction slow, the committee urged ministers to ensure none of the remaining ships leaves service in the meantime.

Source: PA Media via Hello Rayo

Committee chair Tan Dhesi said: "The High North poses a major strategic challenge for the UK's security. This is a demanding, hostile environment, and one that our greatest adversary, Russia, is seeking to dominate for military advantage." He added: "And if the UK Government means what it says — that Russia could attack Nato as soon as 2030 — then work to rectify these vulnerabilities cannot start soon enough."

In light of uncertainty over US support for Nato, the report said the UK should consider whether the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a coalition of northern European nations, should focus more on the High North rather than maintaining the same level of activity in the Baltic region, and whether the British Army force in the Baltics, notably in Estonia, would then need bolstering.

The MoD said it was "clear-eyed about the threat Russia posed" and was investing heavily to protect Britain's undersea cables. An MoD spokesperson said the JEF was already "strengthening Nato's northern flank and increasing our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats," BBC News reported.