NATO countries have joined forces to improve satellite coverage in the Arctic, a region where Russia's nuclear submarine fleet is located and whose strategic importance has grown because of Russia's war in Ukraine, an official representative of the alliance told Reuters today, BTA writes.
On the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels yesterday, 13 allies signed a letter of intent aimed at creating a secure satellite communications network for the Arctic called "Northlink", the official told Reuters.
"The strategic role of the Arctic is becoming increasingly important due to the tense geopolitical situation," said the representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "At the same time, the region does not have sufficient satellite coverage for communication and navigation, and therefore for military operations,", he said.
"Northlink" aims to improve satellite coverage in the coming years by leasing commercial services or securing capacity from allies, he added.
The countries that initialed the project are Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.
The Kola Peninsula in the Arctic is home to Russia's Northern Fleet, which operates the country's fleet of nuclear submarines and has a so-called "second strike" capability, that is, the ability to strike back with its own nuclear weapons if subjected to nuclear attack.