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Written question asked by Lord Stirrup (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 February 2026. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 February 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Navy: Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what milestones they envisage for Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Strike and Atlantic Shield; and to what extent a putative Arctic Sentry mission might intersect with these efforts.

Answer

The Royal Navy will enhance warfighting readiness over the next four years through the innovative transformation programmes of Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Shield, and Atlantic Strike. The Atlantic Bastion capability options submitted for consideration in the DIP include a blend of uncrewed systems, underwater payloads, options to increase lethality, and improvements to crewed platforms. These are consistent with the pivot to a Hybrid Navy and reflect industry maturity to deliver.

Arctic Sentry remains a concept, rather than an agreed activity. Discussions are ongoing between Allies on how NATO can continue to bolster security in the High North to address the increasing threat from Russia.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL13765
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Defence Navy North Atlantic Ocean Arctic NATO countries Unmanned marine systems
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk