What is northern Europe’s new drone and warship plan to counter Russia?

Résumé détaillé

UK-led coalition of 10 Northern European nations announces joint defence framework amid rising threats from Moscow.

The United Kingdom has unveiled a plan to integrate the maritime defence capabilities of 10 countries, including the sharing of sea drones and warships, in response to what European countries see as a growing threat from Russia.

The Northern Navies Initiative is a British-led defence framework that will link the UK’s autonomous systems with its Baltic, Nordic and Dutch allies to create a unified surveillance capability to respond to growing maritime threats.

“The threats we face are multiplying … we must rise to the challenge before us,” First Sea Lord General Gwyn Jenkins said after the signing of the agreement on Tuesday.

“Together, we have shown what is possible when like-minded nations are united by a common purpose.”

The UK plans to spend 90 million pounds ($121m) on drones, sensors and artificial intelligence systems to help the Royal Navy counter Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic and protect critical infrastructure.

According to Guntram Wolff, a senior fellow at the European think tank Bruegel, the new alliance is “a very important initiative”.

“No single Western European nation can credibly defend itself,” he told Al Jazeera.

So what is the new defence framework and will it deter Russian threats?

Luke Pollard, the UK minister for defence readiness, introduced the new plan, saying that Russian naval activity around the country has increased by 41 percent in the first nine months of the year, The Guardian newspaper reported.

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