Britain is close to losing its dominance in Atlantic to Russia – Navy chief
Photo: The Royal Navy will struggle to keep pace with modern demands (Getty Images)
The United Kingdom is close to losing the Atlantic to Russia for the first time since the end of the Second World War.
This was stated by the commander of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Ben Key Jenkins, according to The Times.
According to The Times, the navy chief used a London conference to issue one of his strongest warnings yet about the UK’s maritime capabilities amid a growing threat of underwater attacks. He argued that the Royal Navy will struggle to keep pace without rapid transformation and strong support from NATO allies.
He stressed that the advantage the UK has held in the Atlantic since the end of the Cold War and the Second World War is now under serious pressure, and that maintaining it will become increasingly difficult. In his assessment, rival states are investing heavily in naval capabilities, and without a more proactive strategy, the UK risks losing its edge.
The admiral pointed out that Russia has poured significant resources into its naval forces, particularly the Northern Fleet, despite the heavy human and economic cost of its war against Ukraine.
Growing Russian activity in UK waters
The Times reports that Russian activity in British waters has risen by around 30% over the past two years. This includes the visible presence of intelligence-gathering vessels such as the Yantar, suspected of mapping undersea infrastructure. One such ship recently entered UK waters and used lasers against military pilots.
The navy chief indicated that while ships like the Yantar attract public attention, the greater concern lies in what Russia may be doing below the surface.
UK response and existing challenges
He stated that the UK is engaged in an undersea contest using new technologies, including autonomous underwater gliders capable of detecting hostile submarines. Contracts for the Atlantic Bastion programme, an array of autonomous sensors envisaged as the UK’s "eyes and ears", are expected next year.
The Times notes that the admiral took command of the Royal Navy in May, inheriting longstanding problems such as ship and submarine availability and difficulties in meeting recruitment targets, although some improvements are being seen.
Currently, the ageing Vanguard-class submarines carrying Trident missiles are being kept at sea for extended periods due to a shortage of operational vessels, while none of the five Astute-class attack submarines is believed to be deployed at sea because of maintenance and other issues.
UK strengthening undersea defences
On 8 December, Sky News reported that the UK is accelerating work on the Atlantic Bastion programme to boost underwater defence amid heightened Russian activity. Defence Secretary John Healey stated that threats to subsea infrastructure are both real and critical for Western nations. According to the Ministry of Defence, the programme will integrate ships, submarines, aircraft, and drones into a unified AI-enabled acoustic detection network.
