Oral Question·Ministry of Defence
“What the objectives are of the recent deployment of UK armed forces to Mali.”
Tabled: 10 March 2020Answered: 16 March 2020
Asked by
Andrew Bowie
Conservative — West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Defence
Answer from Hansard
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Louise Sandher-Jones)
The UK is stepping up its defence of the High North. This year, our carrier strike group operated in the region, alongside 19 NATO allies, and 1,500 of our Royal Marines have trained in Arctic conditions. We are also doubling our military presence in Norway, investing in key anti-submarine warfare and undersea surveillance capabilities, and our carrier strike group will be returning shortly to NATO’s northern flank.