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North Atlantic Submarine Activity
13 April 2026
Lead MP
Alistair Carns
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
DefenceEconomyForeign AffairsScience & TechnologyEnergy
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Alistair Carns raised concerns about north atlantic submarine activity in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Defence Secretary announced details of a UK op [2D [K operation in the north Atlantic to deter Russian activity involving an Akul [4D [K Akula-class submarine and two GUGI submarines. The Royal Navy warship and R [1D [K RAF P8 aircraft closely monitored these vessels for over a month, covering [K thousands of nautical miles with 450 flying hours, involving about 500 pers [4D [K personnel. This was done to demonstrate UK's readiness and commitment in pr [2D [K protecting critical undersea infrastructure from hybrid warfare threats. Th [2D [K The statement highlighted the importance of the seabed as it houses pipelin [7D [K pipelines and cables crucial for gas supply, telecommunications, and global [6D [K global trade. To combat these challenges, £100 million is being provided fo [2D [K for P8 aircraft, the Atlantic Bastion programme will combine autonomous tec [3D [K technologies with warships, and there's a significant increase in defence s [1D [K spending since the Cold War. The UK also deployed its carrier group to nort [4D [K north Atlantic and High North regions and supports NATO’s Arctic Sentry mis [3D [K mission.
Question
The MP asks about the current status of boarding sanctio [7D [K sanctioned vessels transiting UK waters and seeks clarification on any lega [4D [K legal basis for interdiction by the Attorney General. They also inquire how [3D [K how many such vessels have been allowed to transit without action.
Minister reply
The minister responds, stating that while previou [7D [K previous statements indicated readiness, no specific decision has been take [4D [K taken yet regarding the legal basis or operational logistics of boarding sa [2D [K sanctioned vessels. He acknowledges ongoing discussions and commits to addr [4D [K addressing these concerns as part of a broader deterrence strategy.
Question
The MP questions the timing and scope of deploying resou [5D [K resources in the north Atlantic versus other global hotspots like the middl [5D [K middle east, seeking assurance that no critical threats go unaddressed.
Minister reply
The minister explains that due to increased defen [5D [K defence investment, more resources can be deployed effectively across multi [5D [K multiple priorities. He assures that while deployments may vary based on im [2D [K immediate demands, the overall strategy remains robust and committed to pro [3D [K protecting UK interests globally.
David Reed
Lab
Question
We must start acting on visible threats. Can the Ministe [7D [K Minister guarantee that there are no hostile devices on our undersea cables [6D [K cables, pipelines or interconnectors? The Defence Readiness Bill has been d [1D [K delayed by a year and cross-party unity is needed now more than ever.
Minister reply
The Government have exposed Russia's activities a [1D [K around critical national infrastructure, preventing sabotage. We will do ev [2D [K everything to map, track and expose any such activity if it takes place. Th [2D [K There are legal challenges but we stand ready to board vessels that meet th [2D [K the criteria.
Tan Dhesi
Lab
Slough
Question
Can the Minister confirm whether Russians were involved [K in either sabotage or precursors to sabotage on our undersea cables?
Minister reply
Russia failed this time as we exposed its activit [7D [K activity. No sabotage took place, but efforts continue towards understandin [12D [K understanding and protecting critical infrastructure.
Question
Will the Minister commit to publishing the defence inves [5D [K investment plan before Parliament is prorogued? Will he publish a plan to r [1D [K raise £20 billion in defence bonds for urgent projects, including rebuildin [9D [K rebuilding naval capabilities?
Minister reply
While the Defence Investment Plan has not yet arr [3D [K arrived, significant efforts are being made towards enhancing maritime capa [4D [K capability. Five classes of ship or submarine are on order, with 13 frigate [7D [K frigates being built collaboratively to ensure our maritime capability is f [1D [K fit for purpose. The Government will continue to work with EU partners and [K sanction Russian entities to reduce the illegal flow of resources back into [4D [K into Russia.
Question
It is clear that under the current leadership, the US is [2D [K is no longer a reliable ally, threatening European colleagues and Commonwea [9D [K Commonwealth nations and undermining the very purpose of NATO. As we face i [1D [K increasing threats from Russia, we are reliant on the US for our nuclear de [2D [K deterrent, for our kit and for technology. Will the Minister share his plan [4D [K plans to increase the prioritisation of British and European partners’ equi [4D [K equipment, so that we can have some independence from the US and also boost [5D [K boost our domestic market?
Minister reply
We have a multitude of allies and partners. The U [1D [K US has been a partner for the last 20 years and will continue to be so for [K some time to come. We share a plethora of different capabilities with them [K and have done so for the last 20 years. Additionally, we do the same with o [1D [K our European allies, resulting in millions of pounds of investment and thou [4D [K thousands of skilled jobs across various regions.
Question
I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for his statement. I [K pay tribute to our incredibly brave naval personnel for the important work [K they do, often in difficult weather conditions, to keep us all safe. It str [3D [K strikes me that Harlow is quite a way from the Arctic circle and that the A [1D [K Arctic circle is considerably colder than Harlow, particularly at this time [4D [K time of year. Would he touch on the unique challenges that our naval fleet [K face in those conditions? Although it is hugely important that we support N [1D [K NATO with its Arctic Sentry mission, would he reflect on the challenges and [3D [K and reassure me and my constituents that our naval fleet are prepared for t [1D [K those challenges?
Minister reply
Operating in the High North is exceptionally diff [4D [K difficult. The Royal Navy perseveres; it does a fantastic job. When that is [2D [K is combined with our P-8s in the sky and, of course, the silent service und [3D [K underneath the waves, I have no doubt that our nation is very well protecte [8D [K protected.
Question
The Minister may recall that back in November when we di [2D [K discussed the Yantar, I asked him about the circumstances under which the f [1D [K fleet contingency group would be given the green light to conduct a maritim [7D [K maritime interdiction operation. He responded that it would need to meet in [2D [K international law. I was pleased on 25 March when the Prime Minister put ou [2D [K out a statement saying that the Royal Marines special forces would be given [5D [K given the opportunity to interdict Russian shadow fleet vessels, but subseq [6D [K subsequently, we have not seen any of that take place. The Minister mention [7D [K mentioned that criteria would need to be met. There are 544 sanctioned Russ [4D [K Russian shadow fleet vessels. Can he confirm whether all of them—by virtue [K of being sanctioned—meet the criteria for being interdicted, or are there v [1D [K vessels in that list of 544 that are in scope, but have not yet transited t [1D [K through our waters?
Minister reply
The maritime interdiction of a Russian-flagged ve [2D [K vessel such as the Yantar is very different from one where the vessel eithe [5D [K either does not have a flag or changes its flag regularly. The criteria mus [3D [K must be met to enable those boardings. The MOD is absolutely ready to go, b [1D [K but unfortunately I will not go through the detail here, because it may all [3D [K allow some of those vessels to put in place mitigations that would reduce o [1D [K our ability to board them.
Question
With the Russian navy now escorting shadow fleet vessels [7D [K vessels down through the English channel, could a mitigation or a blocker f [1D [K for interdicting one of those vessels be a naval vessel with them? Was it a [1D [K an error of judgment by the Government to put them on notice that we were a [1D [K about to start those interdictions?
Minister reply
We had already supported a US boarding of a sanct [5D [K sanctioned vessel and, of course, multiple other allies as well. Russian na [2D [K naval escorts do escort some of these vessels. When they do, that is also p [1D [K putting a considerable strain on the Russian fleet which is relatively limi [4D [K limited when combined with its subsurface capability, and this is having an [2D [K an effect. What I can say is that the MOD is absolutely ready to board any [K ship that meets the parameters, and will do so if that happens.
Question
I pay tribute to the Royal Navy and echo the point made [K by the Minister in respect of our brave personnel. I agree with him that we [2D [K we have the best Navy in the world—I just wish it were larger. I am unclear [7D [K unclear from what the Minister has said about whether we have had more than [4D [K than a narrative of what has happened over the last month and of our capabi [6D [K capabilities in respect of these events. What has actually changed in the G [1D [K Government’s planning with respect to defending our undersea infrastructure [14D [K infrastructure from Russia, in terms of either the disposition of our force [5D [K forces or procurement, perhaps? Also, he mentions the resilience of our und [3D [K undersea infrastructure. Can he tell the House a little about what plans we [2D [K we have to cope with an attack on undersea cables and how quickly we could [K recover from one?
Minister reply
The UK has deployed assets to map and track Russi [5D [K Russian operations, exposing them effectively. This is a fantastic deterren [8D [K deterrent as it prevents Russia or Putin from claiming that an operation wa [2D [K was not theirs. Remember, it is not just the ship or aircraft; a whole plet [4D [K plethora of individuals—500 people—sit behind this operation, conducting it [2D [K it successfully.
Question
I would like to return to the issue of UK maritime servi [5D [K services facilitating the export of Russian energy. Does the Minister not s [1D [K see the irony that, at a time when we are all grappling with how we fund ou [2D [K our own defence, the Government are still letting UK plc bankroll Putin’s w [1D [K war machine—a war machine that is mapping our infrastructure? What action d [1D [K do the Government plan to take to stop it?
Minister reply
We have taken extensive actions on sanctions of a [1D [K any country, sanctioning thousands of individuals and enterprises. We will [K continue to do so as long as that money fuels the illegal and barbaric war [K in Ukraine.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
A recent Policy Exchange document highlighted that Irela [5D [K Ireland, due to its proximity to the UK and NATO, is increasingly reliant o [1D [K on the UK for security. What discussions has the Minister had with the Iris [4D [K Irish Government to up their game and provide for some security measures? D [1D [K Does he have any concerns that a future Irish Government that includes Sinn [4D [K Sinn Féin could lead to co-operation breaking down?
Minister reply
We need to accept that Ireland is exceptionally c [1D [K close to the mainland, creating shared security interests. The Prime Minist [6D [K Minister has had constructive conversations with his Irish counterparts to [K ensure resources are shared and both Ireland and Great Britain and Northern [8D [K Northern Ireland are protected.
Question
The Minister talked about Government investment to deter [5D [K deter adversaries in the north Atlantic, the Atlantic Bastion programme, ex [2D [K extra money for P-8 aircraft and the additional service vessels on order. W [1D [K Will he comment on the future of the AUKUS submarines that are in developme [9D [K development with the United States?
Minister reply
The AUKUS programme is not in question; it contin [6D [K continues at full strength. It is a fantastic trilateral partnership betwee [6D [K between us, the Australians and the Americans.
Jim Allister
DUP
East Antrim
Question
Given Northern Ireland’s geographical position, it occup [5D [K occupies a geo-security location of increasing significance, particularly w [1D [K with regard to transatlantic undersea cables. There are still only five Roy [3D [K Royal Navy personnel based in Northern Ireland. Last month, there was a mem [3D [K memorandum of understanding between the UK and the Republic of Ireland on p [1D [K providing sea and naval cover for the entire British Isles. Can the Ministe [7D [K Minister confirm that Russian submarines have not been active in the soft u [1D [K underbelly of the Republic of Ireland?
Minister reply
Northern Ireland’s essential role in our transatl [8D [K transatlantic relationship is not lost on me. If it is within the operation [9D [K operational parameter, I will write back to provide details on numbers in N [1D [K Northern Ireland. Any discussions taking place with another country usually [7D [K usually involve bilateral benefits.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the hon. and gallant Member for his statement—no [12D [K statement—no one inside or outside this House doubts his commitment. The Ch [2D [K Chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy made a state [5D [K statement about six weeks ago regarding the issue my right hon. Friend ment [4D [K mentioned. Can the Minister confirm that Russian submarines have not been a [1D [K active in the soft underbelly of the Republic of Ireland, which is a back d [1D [K door to the UK?
Minister reply
I will not go into specific detail on the geograp [7D [K geographical movement of submarines but I can say that there are interdepen [10D [K interdependencies between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland and a [1D [K a multitude of other European nations in relation to undersea cables. We ar [2D [K are working with our allies and partners to ensure those cables are protect [7D [K protected.
Shadow Comment
David Reed
Shadow Comment
The shadow minister acknowledged Russia as an acute, [K persistent threat to the UK with ongoing nefarious activity in territorial [K waters. He emphasised the need for robust action beyond rhetoric, citing th [2D [K that words must be backed by concrete measures to protect critical underwat [8D [K underwater infrastructure from sabotage or kinetic threats. The Labour Part [4D [K Party is concerned about delays in the Defence Readiness Bill and the lack [K of cross-party unity on defence matters. They question why there has been n [1D [K no boarding of sanctioned vessels transiting UK waters despite previous sta [3D [K statements of readiness. The shadow response criticises the Government for [K not moving fast enough to deter adversaries, urging a commitment to spendin [7D [K spending 3% of GDP on defence within this Parliament.
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