Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 13
2nd Report - Defence in the High North
Published 22 Oct 2026
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defence in the High North All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The UK has allowed its under-ice submarine capability to lapse at a time when the High North has become strategically more important. Without a credible under-ice capability, the UK is less able to contest Russian freedom of action in the High North and risks being forced into a more defensive posture. Russia can then use the ice to conceal and protect its own submarines, while threatening NATO sea lanes, UK critical infrastructure and the nuclear deterrent. (Conclusion, Paragraph 88)
From: Defence Committee, 2nd Report - Defence in the High North (HC 71), 22 October 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 22 December 2026.