Western countries have repeatedly expressed concerns over Russia's alleged increasing military presence and activities in the Arctic region. Moscow vehemently rejects the allegations, noting that it considers the Arctic to be an area for constructive dialogue and equal, conflict-free cooperation in the interest of all nations.
The Royal Canadian Navy is considering purchasing 15 British Type 26 frigates designed to fight enemy submarines, according to Defense News' David Larter.
He recalled that the construction of these warships began in the UK only last summer, which could provoke a delay in deliveries and an increase in the cost of ships.
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However, the Canadian government, which plans to allocate a whopping 60 billion dollars for the UK frigates, is “willing to accept those risks because of the strategic threat Russia poses to Canada's interests at the rapidly thawing top of the world,” Larter claimed.
In this context, he cited Bryan Clark, a retired US submarine officer and analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, as saying that Canada perceives anti-submarine activity as “a big deal.”
“If you are worried about the Russian sub threat and the air threat, then, yeah, the Type 26 makes sense,” Clark said.
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Gary Fudge, a vice president with Lockheed Martin…