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

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. 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”.