A Royal Navy task force of seven ships will deploy along with other Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations to patrol areas with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea.
Departing in early December, the UK contribution will include two Royal Navy frigates, two offshore patrol vessels and mine countermeasures vessels, as well as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship – supported by a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
It comes after defence ministers from all 10 JEF nations unanimously agreed to activate a protocol mobilising military assets from all participant nations after an increase in attacks and threats.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This historic and unprecedented agreement will see a Royal Navy task force of seven ships, supported by the RAF, join allies from across northern Europe as part of a joint operation to defend our shared critical infrastructure against potential threats.
“The UK and our JEF partners will do whatever it takes to defend our mutual areas of interest, and today’s display of unshakeable unity sends a powerful message of deterrence that we stand ready to meet any potential threat with force.
“Together we stand firmly in support of peace, security and a steadfast resolve to uphold the rules-based international order.”
During the deployment, ships and aircraft from JEF nations will work together to carry out deterrent patrol in areas of key interest, as well as increase surveillance around offshore assets and share intelligence.
The patrols will ensure an extended security presence, picking up from Nato’s enhanced Vigilance Activity which took place in the Baltic Sea region throughout November.
The JEF is a northern European security coalition of mainly Nordic and Baltic countries, including the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
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