Navy has ‘lost its ability’ to fight beneath Arctic ice cap & is leaving seas to Russian subs, damning report warns

1 comment 1 Next THE Navy has lost its ability to fight beneath the ice cap and is leaving the seas to Russian submarines, a damning report by MPs has warned. Royal Navy crews need specialist training and subs with “hardened sails” to smash through the ice around the North Pole, like in the spy thriller Ice Station Zebra. A Royal Navy sub on an exercise in Norway Credit: UK MOD Crown copyright Arctic ice cap waters are being left to Russian submarines Credit: AFP Advertisement The skills were a Royal Navy staple until the late 1990s when it fell out of normal training cycle. The last Navy exercise to smash through the ice was April 2018 and the last submarine fit to do it retired in 2024. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. The lack of an under-ice capability was one of the “glaring gaps” in Britain’s High North defences identified by cross-party MPs. Their report ‘Defence In The High North’ warned: “The UK has allowed its submarine under-ice capability to lapse just as the High North has become strategically more important.” READ MORE ON ROYAL NAVY NAVY SINKING Navy fears captain shortage after low pass rate for ships' 'driving tests' 'MADNESS' Fury as 3 MORE warships face axe under Labour despite 'chasing Russians daily' The report warned: “The lack of an under-ice capability allows Russia to leave its SSBNs [nuclear armed submarines] safe under the ice while its attack submarines surge forward to disrupt UK critical infrastructure, Nato sea lanes and allied [nuclear armed submarines] automatically putting the UK and Nato on the defensive.” The Navy’s newer Astute class subs are still being “certified” for ice operations, MPs found. It comes after The Sun revealed the Navy risks running out of captains due to record low numbers of offciers passing their “driving tests”. And three more ships on the cutting board, bringing Labour’s scrap heap tally to 12. Advertisement Most read in The Sun DEATH RIDDLE Woman, 36, dies after being found unresponsive in home - as cops probe death CONTINENT CHAOS Cops & left-wing protesters clash in Spain after 'apocalyptic' France riots VLAD THREAT Putin 'sends fishing boats to spy on Britain' as tyrant targets undersea cables As the ice caps melt the High North is increasingly contested. Russia wants access to military bases, undiscovered oil and gas fields and control of the merchant sea lanes linking Europe to Asia. Labour’s Tan Dhesi MP, chair of the Defence Select Committee, said: “Russian submarine and sabotage forces in the High North pose direct risks to the North Atlantic and the UK, including the nuclear deterrent. “Despite this, the Ministry of Defence has accepted a serious anti-submarine warfare gap.” The report warned of chronic shortages of warships and submarines and cautioned against pretending that everything can be done by drones . It said: “The MoD’s Hybrid Navy concept must not become a substitute for crewed capability before uncrewed systems have been proven in the specific conditions of the High North.” Advertisement It also warned against an over reliance on America after Donald Trump threatened Greenland and Canada , both essential High North Allies. The report said: “Europe cannot count on the US returning to the European Arctic as the security partner and ally that the UK and Europe previously counted on. The MoD said it was “clear-eyed about the threat Russia poses” and investing £1.8bn in Atlantic Bastion and subsea defences. A spokesperson said: “We are leading allied activity across the High North, strengthening Nato’s northern flank and increasing our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats.” 1 comment 1