MPs warn UK’s Arctic military shortfalls could weaken defences against Russia

A parliamentary report says gaps in Britain’s military capacity in the High North could leave the UK and its allies less able to deter Russian submarines and sabotage. MPs warn that the region’s growing strategic importance, as ice melts and access to resources and shipping routes expands, is not matched by the UK’s ability to operate there.

The report says the breakdown of HMS Protector has left the UK without a ship designed for polar expeditions, while the number of frigates with towed-array sonar has fallen from eight to five. MPs also cited low availability of destroyers, frigates and attack submarines, and said the Ministry of Defence has accepted a serious anti-submarine warfare gap. The article says the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2040, potentially drawing greater Chinese military involvement.