Maritime and Air forces of NATO allies conducting exercises to protect Critical Undersea Infrastructure

Europe, News June 8, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Maritime and Air units of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) started a month-long series of protective military activities and training to protect Critical Undersea Infrastructure across Northern Europe.

The JEF Response Option activity, NORDIC WARDEN, involves warships, aircraft, and personnel from JEF partner nations. During the training, allied forces would conduct operations in numerous areas from the North Atlantic Ocean through to the Baltic Sea, with activity coordinated by the JEF from Northwood Headquarters in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom-led Joint Expeditionary Force is a multi-national military partnership of Northern European nations. It has been fully operational since 2018 and is designed for the defense and security of Northern Europe as well as rapid response and expeditionary operations.

The JEF is a multi-national coalition of ten Northern European nations including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. All of the partner countries are NATO member states and share the commitment to respond to crisis and defend the Northern European territory, incorporating Land, Maritime, and Air domains.

Joint Expeditionary Force Director of Communications, Group Captain Kevin Latchman said, “NORDIC WARDEN builds on the success of JEF’s first-ever response option last year, also focused on Critical Undersea Infrastructure, and is part of a systematic approach to understand and respond to potential threats. Importantly, JEF is working with other stakeholders who are also working hard to contribute in this area.“

^{Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 Flagship, ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon with oiler FGS Rhoen, transiting in the North Sea in the vicinity of the Norwegian Oseberg oil and gas field. (Image Credit: NATO/MARCOM)}

According to the NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) statement, critical undersea infrastructure is vital for the economic activities of the highly interconnected nations in northern Europe, and any disruption, whether malicious or accidental, would significantly impact the daily lives of their populations.

“NORDIC WARDEN activities bring together capabilities from all ten JEF nations to monitor shipping activity near important undersea energy and communications routes, and to coordinate the detection and interdiction of any unusual or suspicious activity in their vicinity. This activity emphasizes how the JEF works alongside NATO as the region’s ultimate security guarantor,“ the NATO AIRCOM statement added.

In 2023, NATO announced the establishment of a Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell. The center aims to facilitate engagement with industry and bring military and civilian stakeholders together to share practices and explore technologies to boost the security of Allied undersea infrastructure.

In May 2024, NATO officially launched its new Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure. The networking and knowledge center is designed to assist the NATO Maritime Command in “making decisions, deploying forces, and coordinating action”.

^{Representatives from the contributing nations of Denmark, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Türkiye, the UK, and the U.S. took part in the MARCOM Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure meeting. (Image Credit: NATO/MARCOM)}

Commander MARCOM, Royal Navy Vice Admiral Mike Utley highlighted the Center’s importance for the security of critical undersea infrastructure and said, “Like other aspects of maritime security, securing CUI goes beyond posturing to deter future aggression; it includes robust coordination, to actively monitor and counter malign or hybrid threats, denying any aggressor the cover of “plausible deniability”.

“Through the wide networks we are establishing in the new center, that job will become much easier to achieve. And if, in the future, nations seek NATO assistance, we will be ready to help them using our networks and data,” he added.