Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The German Navy has started patrolling Norwegian waters with the goal of protecting key Norwegian energy infrastructure, including its oil and gas platforms, and the country’s pipelines connecting their sources with other European countries. Deutsche Marine chief also stressed the navy is ready to extend the service to Danish and Swedish waters.
As Moscow cut its gas flows to Europe even before the deliberate sabotage of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Norwegian oil and gas became a critical resource in supplying the continent. Several analysts stressed in late September that the Norwegian network has become the most important strategic object in all of Europe, which will be extremely hard to defend.
Following Nord Stream sabotage in September, when explosions ruptured unused Russian pipelines off the coast of Sweden, Norway deployed its navy to patrol the country’s offshore platforms and pipelines, and its police force to guard the land-based facilities.
Critical infrastructure
The extent of the Norwegian network of pipelines, however, coupled with its highly-divorced coastline full of fjords and inlets, has taxed the Nordic country’s capacity to effectively patrol the vulnerable infrastructure.
German Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, announced on Thursday in Berlin that the Deutsche Marine currently has three frigates and a supply ship in Norwegian waters, with some 700 sailors helping to monitor the situation near the country’s platforms and pipelines. This effort is coordinated with NATO, of which Norway was a founding member.
“With its presence in Norwegian waters, the German Navy is fulfilling NATO’s pledge of ‘one for all, all for one’,” said Kaack, who also noted the military was making good on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s promise to support Norway, Denmark and Sweden in protecting their maritime infrastructure. As part of its efforts, German P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft will also perform reconnaissance missions.
Largest German frigate
Norway, a member of the European Free Trade Association, is the continent’s largest fossil fuel exporter, with numerous deposits scattered over the Norwegian Sea. The country operates more than 90 offshore oil and gas fields, and its nearly 9,000-kilometre long network of pipelines runs through the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, connecting the platforms’ output to the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany and Poland.
According to Kaack, Germany has deployed its Baden-Württemberg-class frigate Rheinland-Pfalz, accompanied by Brandenburg-class frigates Meckleburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein, as well as Berlin-class oiler Berlin. The Rheinland-Pfalz is among the largest of German ships, internationally classified as a destroyer due to its size and tonnage. The three ships represent more than a quarter of Germany’s 11-strong frigate fleet, and a fifth of all Deutsche Marine bluewater surface combatants.
While NATO and EU countries are increasingly concerned for the safety of Europe’s gas infrastructure ahead of the coming winter, Moscow is accusing the United Kingdom of sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines. According to the Russian Defence Ministry release on Saturday, the attack on the pipelines was “performed by the British Navy personnel,” a claim which London denies and EU countries disregard. Both Sweden and Denmark refused Russia’s request to participate in the investigation of the incident.
