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The UK is sending submarine-hunting aircraft to participate in a new NATO operation in the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The operation is a response to recent incidents in which several undersea cables were damaged.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The damage came amid an increase in threats to critical underwater infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The UK will be deploying submarine-hunting aircraft in support of a new NATO operation. The aircraft will fly patrols above the Baltic Sea and monitor threats to underwater infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Last week, NATO announced the start of a mission called Baltic Sentry to boost its military presence in the Baltic Sea. The operation came in response to a suspected hybrid attack<\/a> in late December that ultimately damaged several underwater cables.<\/p>\n Britain’s defense ministry said on Wednesday that the UK will provide P-8 Poseidon and RC-135 Rivet Joint maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to the Baltic Sentry initiative.<\/p>\n The P-8 is a multi-mission patrol aircraft made by Boeing that can be equipped with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles and perform maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine missions.<\/p>\n The highly capable sub-hunter, a derivative of the civilian 737, was developed for the US Navy but is also in service with NATO allies. The UK operates nine of these planes at Lossiemouth, a Royal Air Force base in Scotland.<\/p>\n