A common European fleet, about to be established around Great Britain. The US Navy, apart from the force that will defend the sea border with Russia
Great Britain has agreed to create a unified naval force together with nine European countries to deter future Russian threats from the “open maritime border” in the north, the head of the Royal Navy announced, informs The Guardian, taken from News.ro.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said that despite the current crisis in the Middle East, where the Strait of Hormuz remains closed following the US-Israeli war in Iran, “Russia remains the most serious threat to our security,” General Jenkins said.
“A complement to NATO”
In a speech, the First Lord of the Royal Navy said the 10 members of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) signed a declaration of intent last week to create a “multinational maritime force” to act as a “complement to NATO”.
That force would not include the US, whose president, Donald Trump, has repeatedly criticized Britain for not actively supporting the bombing of Iran, at one point describing Royal Navy aircraft carriers as “toys”.
Military cooperation between the US and Great Britain is at a low level, with the two countries at odds over the Strait of Hormuz. The US has said it wants help to force passage through the strait and has criticized British and French talks to set up defensive patrols after the war, calling them “foolish”.
The JEF includes the Netherlands, all five Nordic states (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland) and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), with Britain being its largest military member. Canada is also considering joining as some NATO members refine their response to growing Russian aggression.
Russian incursions on the rise
Earlier this month, Britain said Russian spy submarines had been tracked as they engaged in what appeared to be covert surveillance of underwater infrastructure around Britain.
“Russian incursions into our waters have increased by almost a third in the last two years,” the British navy chief said, adding that he believed Britain had an “open maritime border with Russia to the north”.
The purpose of the new maritime force, which would be “commanded if necessary” from the UK military headquarters in Northwood, north-west London, would be to train and train together.
It would also be “designed to fight immediately, if necessary, with real capabilities, real war plans and real integration,” Jenkins said, although the navy had difficulty fielding a warship early in the conflict with Iran.
Widespread use of marine drones
Jenkins said the crisis in the Middle East has put the navy in the spotlight. “Were we sufficiently prepared? Can we fight today, and if so, with what?” he said, adding that the service has a general plan of action.
Jenkins, a former commander of the Royal Navy and special forces, said “unmanned escort vessels” – large naval drones – will sail alongside British warships in the next two years as part of efforts to increase military capability, but at a lower cost than before.
However, although Britain has threatened to seize tankers from Russia's “ghost fleet” that export oil subject to sanctions, it has failed to do so, while other European countries have managed to do so.
Russia has mobilized frigates to escort sanctioned vessels through the Dover Strait, defying a British warning made public by Keir Starmer on March 25. Since then, 98 oil tankers subject to sanctions have passed through British waters.
