UK rallies multinational force of navies as threat from Russia grows

The UK is rallying a new multinational force of navies from among northern allies to be ready to fight and defend their seas amid a growing threat from Russia, the head of the Royal Navy has said.

Naval chiefs from across northern Europe signed a "statement of intent" to work up the details for the "Northern Navies Initiative" following a meeting last week, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins revealed.

He said the grouping would complement NATO, with the advantage of being able to react potentially more quickly in a crisis than the larger alliance.

"We know we have no time to lose, which is why by the end of this year, I want us all to have signed a formal declaration, laying the foundations for what will be a vital and enduring partnership for many years to come," the First Sea Lord said in a lecture at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank.

"I aim to create a maritime force that trains, exercises and prepares together. A force designed to fight immediately if required, with real capabilities, real war plans, and real integration."

It would be like an existing UK-led military partnership called the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) - involving their 10 members, which include the Baltic states, Nordic countries and the Netherlands.

But Canada may also join the naval initiative.

The aim is for "a force that generates the maritime, air and amphibious strike capabilities that we all need. This would be a visible and persistent conventional deterrent. A force that is stronger, collectively, than the sum of its parts", he said.

Nations would be able to switch and swap sailors, spare parts and ammunition to bolster capacity and capability, combing crewed and increasingly uncrewed vessels in what General Jenkins envisages for the UK to be a "hybrid navy".

He described this as a "family of allied fleets - something that has not happened in decades".

The new northern naval force could be commanded at a major maritime headquarters at Northwood, on the outskirts of London.

Such a capability was needed in the face of an increased threat from Russia's Northern Fleet.

"We have seen Russian incursions into our waters jump by almost a third in the last two years," General Jenkins, the first Royal Marine to lead the Royal Navy, said.

"In 2025 alone, the Royal Navy was required to respond dozens of times in support of homeland defence against Russian navy surface vessels.

"That is why the Royal Navy has to be ready every day, of every month, of every year."

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He said he was most concerned by Russia's submarine force.

"Like our surface fleet, our submarines spent a substantial amount of time responding to Russian subsurface activity last year - and all the signs suggest the pattern of behaviour by Moscow will only worsen further in future."

(c) Sky News 2026: UK rallies multinational force of navies as threat from Russia grows