British naval initiative wants an alliance of fleets of 10 countries but without Poland

The Royal Navy announces the creation of a new format for maritime cooperation of ten European states. The initiative is intended to strengthen security in the North Sea, the North Atlantic and the Baltic, but Poland was not included in the list of participants.

According to the WP portal, British naval commander Gen. Gwyn Jenkins presented the concept of "a family of allied fleets" during his appearance at the Royal United Services Institute in London. The project is intended to respond to Russia's increasing activity and the need to better protect maritime transport routes and critical maritime infrastructure.

Royal Navy builds a new collaboration format

According to General Gwyn Jenkins, the new initiative includes the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway fleets. The British commander described this project as the first such project in decades.

The new format is not to replace NATO. Its task is to complement existing alliance structures through closer cooperation between the northern European fleets. Key water basins for maritime safety are particularly important: the North Sea, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.

Russian activity as the main reference point

General Jenkins identified Russia as the most serious threat to Britain's security. In the last two years, almost one third of the Russian units' "intrusions" were recorded on British territorial waters.

London's particular concern is the activity of Russian submarines. According to the UK assessment, it will increase, which increases the importance of combating underwater threats, marine reconnaissance and the protection of offshore critical infrastructure at sea bottom.

Common standards and hybrid fleet

Finally, the fleets of countries participating in this initiative are to bring their training, doctrine and standards closer to those applied by Royal Navy. Jenkins also announced the conversion of British naval forces towards a hybrid fleet, combining classic ships with autonomous and unmanned systems.

This is a direction consistent with changes observed in maritime activities, which evolve under the influence of the experience of war in Ukraine. The recognition, resilience of command systems, the ability to react quickly and the cooperation of manned ships with unmanned platforms are increasingly important.

Baltic without Poland in the British initiative

The biggest controversy is the lack of Poland in the list of countries invited to create a new format. The initiative is also intended to cover the Baltic Sea, which is the water directly linked to the security of the Polish coast, ports, supply routes and offshore energy infrastructure.

In the material published by Defence24, Dr. Aleksander Olech, editor-in-chief of Defence24.com commented. He judged that it was difficult to understand the omission of Poland, which remains NATO's key flank state in both the land and the sea dimension in the Baltic. He also pointed out that Warsaw invests in the modernization of the Polish Navy, including in a multi-purpose programme frigate Swordfish, and has decided to purchase submarines.

Without the participation of Warsaw, it is difficult to speak of a full regional approach to the security of NATO's north-eastern flank. This applies particularly to the situation where the new format is to include the Baltic, and thus the waters directly connected with the security of Polish ports, the offshore energy infrastructure and maritime transport routes.

Alliance for the Baltic, but without Poland

This British idea hides several question marks. Not only because it omits Poland, but because it omits Poland in a case directly concerning the security of the Baltic. The proposal is uncomfortable: London is building a regional format without one of the most important countries in the region.

First: why in the initiative covering the Baltic No Poland? Secondly: why are there Baltic States, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and there is no country that has its own coast, ports, LNG terminal, Baltic Pipe, Naftoport and the growing importance of offshore energy infrastructure? Third: does London not really see Warsaw as a partner in maritime security, or does it not see it only when it comes to arms contracts?

Because this is where we come up with a particularly uncomfortable case. The UK is not an observer in Poland from afar. British Babcock International participates in the program The Swordfish, the most important modernization program of the Polish Navy. It is on the Arrowhead 140 project that future Polish frigates are created. In other words, when it is necessary to build ships for Polish money, the British are present. However, when it is necessary to invite our country to a new format of conversation about Baltic security, Poland suddenly disappears from the British security map.

It's worth remembering another episode. Recently, London has politically supported the Swedish offer in the Orka programme, which is to be decided by the foreign company to build future submarines for Poland. The British then sided with the Swedes, as we have already written on our portal. The UK can therefore speak when it comes to Polish purchasing decisions and the direction of modernization of the Polish Navy. It is all the more striking that the maritime initiative covering the Baltic Poland was no longer at the table.

And that's what's most meaningful. Poland is to be a client, industrial base and a convenient partner, but not necessarily a co-author of the rules of the game, which it is trying to impose on a non-Baltic state. If that's what the British "family of allied fleets" is going to look like, then it's worth asking who's sitting at the table in this family and who's just paying the bills.