RUSI hosted it's fourth annual trilateral security dialogue with NUPI and the US-based CSIS on the security situation in the North Atlantic and High North on 29 October.
The group of officials and academics from the International Security programme at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the US-based Centre for Security and International Studies (CSIS) discussed the changing security threat in the North Atlantic region following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The dialogue focused on ways the US, UK, and Norway can work together to more effectively detect, track and deter Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic and secure transatlantic reinforcement from the US to the European continent.
The discussion, which was moderated by Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI, considered how technology is rapidly changing anti-submarine warfare, as well as the potential of the UK’s new Atlantic Bastion Concept, involving autonomous capabilities, sensors and advanced technology to have a greater understanding of the Russian threat to European military capabilities and critical national infrastructure.
Karsten Friis, Research Professor at NUPI, said:
Technology is advancing a lot on the maritime domain … with autonomous system, with sensor systems, really high-tech AI-enabled systems. It's also politically very significant because it alters warfare.
Karsten Friis
Research Professor, NUPI
The discussion also considered the political aspects of the security situation and the improving international cooperation between key partners in the region to mutually benefit security.
Max Bergmann, Director, Europe, Russia and Eurasia programme at CSIS, said:
The UK is engaging with Norway in a much more significant way than it ever has before. The US-UK relationship is always incredibly strong, but we don't always talk about the High North. We tend to talk about other issues, AUKUS, global issues, and so it's really interesting for us to bring that special relationship conversation that we have and really focus northward, and the Norwegians really provide that excellent perspective.
Max Bergmann
Director, Europe, Russia and Eurasia programme, CSIS
This was the fourth annual London meeting between the three institutes and was supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
