Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Monday, 7 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

NATO: Arctic

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the scope is of the UK’s contribution to NATO enhanced deterrence in the Arctic Region under Arctic Sentry.

Answer

The United Kingdom considers itself the nearest neighbour to the Arctic region and recognises that the security of this region is inextricably linked to our own national security. By assuming command of NATO's Joint Force Command Norfolk, which is responsible for coordinating Alliance activity under Arctic Sentry, the United Kingdom will demonstrate the growing leadership role of European Allies within NATO. This aligns with the Ankara Summit Declaration's commitment to a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

The UK's contribution to Arctic Sentry is also illustrated by recent deployments, notably Operation Firecrest, under the leadership of HMS Prince of Wales. Supported by HMS Duncan, RFA Tidespring, F-35B Lightning aircraft, rotary-wing assets, and advanced uncrewed systems, the deployment demonstrated the UK's ability to project credible, multi-domain military capability in support of NATO's enhanced deterrence and defence objectives across the Arctic region.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
27630
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Defence Arctic NATO
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk