UK, Norway to Mount Joint Naval Patrols12/04 06:08

   

   LONDON (AP) -- Britain and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect 
undersea cables from Russia, the U.K. said Thursday, as Prime Minister Keir 
Starmer and Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store held talks on defense.

   The U.K. government says a combined fleet of at least 13 warships will "hunt 
Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic."

   It follows a 10 billion pound ($13.4 billion) deal struck in August for 
Norway to buy at least five British-made frigates. Those Norwegian vessels and 
eight British ships will operate jointly in the seas along NATO's northern 
flank.

   As part of the agreement, formally signed Thursday in London by the two 
countries' defense ministers, the U.K. has agreed to use Norwegian missiles for 
the Royal Navy's surface fleet.

   Starmer and Store were scheduled to hold talks at the U.K. prime minister's 
residence at 10 Downing St. before visiting British and Norwegian personnel at 
RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where they will meet aircraft crews that have been 
tracking Russian vessels. Britain says Russian naval activity around U.K. 
waters has increased by 30% in the past two years.