The Ministry of Defence is strengthening collaboration with NATO Allies and close partners to deliver priority capabilities more affordably, improve interoperability, and support the European defence industrial base. Since the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, progress includes the development of the STRATUS long-range strike missile with France, cooperation with Germany on a new deep precision strike capability, and defence partnerships with Norway and Poland. The UK has also signed a £4.6 billion contract for the Global Combat Air Programme with Italy and Japan. Further progress includes collaboration on land platforms, joint procurement, common standards, interoperability, and cooperation on defence research and development with Allies.

The UK have Defence Attachés/Advisors (DAs) stationed permanently in the following NATO countries with some DAs having Non-Residential Attaché (NRA) responsibility for other NATO countries in their region.

· Albania

· Belgium (DA is also NRA to Luxembourg)

· Bulgaria

· Canada

· Croatia (DA is also NRA to Hungary)

· Czechia (DA is also NRA to Slovakia)

· Denmark

· Estonia

· Finland

· France

· Germany

· Greece

· Italy

· Latvia

· Lithuania

· Montenegro

· Netherlands

· North Macedonia

· Norway (DA is also NRA to Iceland)

· Poland

· Portugal

· Romania

· Spain

· Sweden

· Türkiye

· USA

The DA to Austria is also NRA to Slovenia.

The two ships in question had been tied up for some time under the last Government and we inherited a position where neither ship were planned to go to sea again. Disposal of former Royal Fleet Auxiliary assets is conducted in accordance with established Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider His Majesty's Government policies. Officials engage with colleagues across Government and shipping industry representatives as required to ensure compliance with applicable defence, export control, and national‑security considerations during disposal activity. The MOD maintains regular dialogue with NATO Allies on operational, capability and interoperability matters. These discussions do not extend to the performance of commercial service providers contracted by other nations, which remain the responsibility of those nations.

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern.

Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness.

The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme.

During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.

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.

The UK is steadfast in its commitment to NATO. For over 75 years, NATO has kept us safe, prosperous and united.

Last week, the Foreign Secretary visited the Arctic Circle, where she emphasised that Arctic security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the security of the UK and NATO, and that we will tackle this emerging threat as an alliance.

We are committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.

Europeans continue to take greater responsibility for their own security, including through historic increases in defence spending.

In coordination with NATO allies, we have committed to strengthening preparedness and deterrence to counter threats to the Baltic region, ensuring that our forces remain capable, credible, and ready to respond to any threat to Alliance security.

This is demonstrated through the UK’s lead as framework nation for NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Estonia and contribution of surveillance aircraft to NATO’s BALTIC SENTRY, which protects critical national infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Additionally, and in line with our NATO Article 3 commitments, the UK is the framework nation for the Joint Expeditionary Force, which has demonstrated the UK’s leadership, preparedness and responsiveness to security threats in the High North and Baltic.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which is a member of NATO. NATO has made clear that the North Atlantic, High North and Arctic is a priority area for deterrence and defence and Allies are stepping up to enhance security in the region. As a NATO ally the United States is an essential partner in this endeavour. As the Strategic Defence Review makes clear, the UK is increasing its presence, activities and investments to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries, including through Atlantic Bastion and leadership of the Joint Expeditionary Force.

The Ministry of Defence remains firmly committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories. In line with our obligations and strategic priorities, we continue to take steps to strengthen preparedness against emerging threats, working closely with NATO allies and other international partners.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 22 September to Question 76322.

The UK’s new Defence Industrial Strategy puts international collaboration at the start, and at the heart, of procurement. Under Defence Reform, a new Director General International Collaboration and Exports has been created to help deliver this.

The UK is collaborating with NATO allies on three of the British Army’s armoured land platforms: Ajax, Boxer and Challenger 3, which are all at different stages of delivery. As well as this, earlier this year the UK reaffirmed plans to partner with Germany to deliver new artillery and bridging systems under the auspices of the Trinty House Agreement.

Looking further ahead, the Land Mobility Programme, which is still in its concept phase, is already actively considering options for collaboration. For example, at DSEI 25 it was announced that the UK joined the Common Armoured Vehicle System programme alongside Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Sweden to scope the benefits of this multinational programme.

These collaborations also contribute significantly to Growth, generating billions of pounds worth of export opportunity and supporting thousands of skilled jobs at key sites across the UK.

The UK is committed to deepening our relationship with a broad range of Allies. Pages 73-75 as well as 82 - 84 of the Strategic Defence Review provide a clear list of allies with which the UK should develop closer ties. These are: the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Poland Estonia, Norway, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithunua, The Netherlands, Romania, and Greece. This is not exhaustive; the Ministry of Defence maintains close links with all Allies in NATO.

The Government regularly performs exercises on its ability to respond to an armed attack on the United Kingdom and our NATO Allies.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with the Cabinet Office and the Home Office to test and strengthen national resilience and home defence arrangements. These exercises enhance coordination between the Armed Forces, civil authorities and emergency services, ensuring the UK remains prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any armed threat.

In addition, NATO has an extensive set of plans outlining how to respond to an armed attack on any Ally, including the UK. These exercises enhance Allied interoperability, validate defence and deterrence strategies, and reinforce the credibility of NATO's collective defence posture.

The largest of these exercises is the STEADFAST series, NATO's most extensive and comprehensive exercise programme. Last year, Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER 2024, the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, involved around 20,000 UK personnel.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 70763 on 8 September 2025 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge).

The European Common Radar System Mk2 prototype system has completed a successful initial flight test campaign demonstrating maturity in key capability areas. Development of the production standard system remains on track.

The UK makes a leading contribution to European security, and the Armed Forces have a long history of operating in the High North. UK Forces are committed to NATO’s warfighting plans which cover the breadth of Allied territory in the Euro-Atlantic. NATO and the UK dynamically adjust presence in the High North; Forces operating in the High North at any specific time are therefore subject to change.

Recent incidents of damage to sub-sea cables underlines the importance of partners continuing to work together on shared challenges in the region.

The Government regularly discusses strengthening NATO’s protection of critical undersea infrastructure in engagements with fellow Allies. The Defence Secretary directly engaged with affected Allies following reported damage to a major undersea cable in the Baltic Sea on 25 December 2024.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) also activated a JEF Response Option (JRO), known as NORDIC WARDEN, which will harness AI to track potential threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor the Russian shadow fleet, sending out real-time warnings of suspicious activity to JEF nations as well as NATO. This JEF activity reinforces existing and planned NATO responses.

At the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in December, the Foreign Secretary and I called on all Allies to boost their defence spending. This is a strategic imperative and it is why the UK is committed to setting out a pathway to 2.5% of GDP at a future fiscal event. The Government welcomes that as of 2024 two-thirds of NATO are spending at least 2% of GDP on defence. We will continue to make the case with our Allies on the need to invest more in our collective defence.

The mounting threats we face mean we must invest in defence if we are to continue to defend our values, freedoms and prosperity. To rise to the challenge in this more divided world, the Prime Minister’s announcement [last week], to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade, marks the single greatest strengthening of our defence since the Cold War.

This sets a new standard for other major European NATO economies to follow. If all NATO countries committed to at least 2.5% of their GDP to defence, our collective budget would increase by more than £140 billion. Now is the time for all democratic nations across the world to ensure their defence spending is growing, and we will continue to make the case with our NATO Allies.