The UK and Norway have agreed to form a partnership to address shared undersea threats, including those targeting undersea energy infrastructure.

The Defence Secretary and the Norwegian Defence Minister signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) during a visit to the Maritime Operations Centre in Northwood, aiming to collaborate on critical energy infrastructure protection, anti-submarine warfare, and subsea defence.

The partnership aims to strengthen defence cooperation between the two nations and enhance their capabilities in the North Sea region.

The agreement comes as a response to the increasing risks faced by Western critical national infrastructure on the seabed, including the Nord Stream pipeline attack, which prompted joint security patrols by the UK and Norway.

UK officials have highlighted the arrival of the RFA Proteus, an adaptable offshore patrol vessel designed to protect critical national infrastructure and operate advanced underwater surveillance and seabed warfare systems.