NORWAY will share ships and crews with the Royal Navy under a landmark deal to guard the Arctic from Russian nuke subs.
Oslo has agreed to buy at least five British sub-hunting frigates for £10billion amid warnings that undersea Kremlin threats are at record- high.
ReutersBritish Defence Secretary John Healey visits Norway for the signing of the deal[/caption]
It is Norway’s biggest ever defence deal, and the first time Britain has sold new warships for more than half a century.
Defence Secretary John Healey said eight British frigates would be working with Norway’s new ships as a joint fleet.
He said: “This deal will create a combined Norwegian-UK submarine hunting fleet to strengthen Nato’s northern flank.
“Young people at school today in Norway and the UK will have the chance to crew together on these ships.”
He also noted that HMS Glasgow, the first of the Type 26 warships, would enter British Navy service with Norwegian sailors on board.
Norway’s defence minister Tore Sandvik said: “Patrolling and protecting the North is important for Norway, the United Kingdom and Nato.”
It comes days after UK, US and Norwegian planes went on a Russian sub-hunting mission.
The allies launched a major search last week for a Russian sub suspected of threatening a US aircraft carrier in Arctic waters.
PANorway will share ships and crews with the Royal Navy under a landmark deal to guard the Arctic from Russian nuclear subs[/caption]
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
