GIUK gap will prompt NATO anti-sub procurements

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.