The UK Defence Secretary has disclosed details of a recent operation to track and deter Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic, including the deployment of a Russian Akula-class submarine and two specialised submarines linked to Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (GUGI).
In a media briefing on 9 April, the Defence Secretary said the UK responded in partnership with Norway and other allies to increased Russian activity “north of the UK” over recent weeks, while attention was focused on events in the Middle East.
The Defence Secretary said the operation involved a Russian Akula-class submarine and a concurrent deployment of two GUGI submarines. He described GUGI assets as being used to support “hybrid warfare” activity targeting critical undersea infrastructure, such as cables and pipelines.
“They are designed to survey underwater infrastructure during peacetime, and sabotage it in conflict,” he said, adding that the UK deployed armed forces to “track and deter any malign activity by these vessels”.
According to the Defence Secretary, a Royal Navy warship and Royal Air Force P-8 aircraft, alongside allied forces, monitored the Russian submarines continuously. He said the Akula-class submarine later “retreated home” after being tracked, while the two GUGI submarines continued to be monitored “in and around wider UK waters”.
He said the GUGI submarines had now left UK waters and headed north, and that the operation—which he said lasted more than a month—had concluded. The Defence Secretary said the response involved more than 450 flying hours, a frigate covering several thousand nautical miles, and 500 British personnel.
In his remarks, the Defence Secretary warned Moscow against damaging critical seabed infrastructure. “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and pipelines. And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated, and will have serious consequences,” he said.
He argued that the seabed is a strategic vulnerability for the UK, pointing to dependence on undersea infrastructure for energy supply and international communications. “Half of the gas that heats our homes. 99 per cent of international telecoms and data traffic,” he said.
The Defence Secretary said the UK would increase investment in anti-submarine capabilities, including an additional £100 million for P-8 aircraft. He also referenced the “Atlantic Bastion” programme, which he said aims to combine autonomous technologies with warships and aircraft, and cited plans for higher defence spending.
He said the UK would deploy its carrier group to the High North this year and would lead NATO’s new mission “Arctic Sentry”. He also highlighted cooperation with Norway under the Lunna House Agreement, including work on “a combined fleet of new submarine hunting frigates and new uncrewed systems”.
