GIUK gap will prompt NATO anti-sub procurements
Monday, February 29, 2016
Significance
After years of post-Cold War drawdowns of maritime capabilities in the region, the alliance has returned its focus to the 'Greenland-Iceland-UK' (GIUK) gap that enables access for the Russian navy to the broader North Atlantic.
Impacts
- Instability and migration from the Mediterranean rim are more pressing maritime challenges for southern NATO allies.
- Regeneration of anti-submarine capabilities by northern NATO members offers commercial opportunities to defence contractors.
- US policymakers may be loath to devote naval resources to the GIUK gap and away from the Asia-Pacific theatre.