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LONDON

The UK on Tuesday announced a new artificial intelligence-driven initiative to strengthen its monitoring capabilities in the Arctic and detect hostile state activity.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said that during his Arctic trip on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy would unveil the new UK-Iceland scheme.

"As the UK’s two nearest Arctic neighbours and close NATO allies, what happens around Norway and Iceland affects Britain, especially our national security," the statement said.

It noted that the Arctic is becoming an “increasingly contested area,” as countries seek to exploit new reserves of gas, oil, and natural minerals exposed by melting ice due to rising global temperatures, which are also opening previously inaccessible shipping routes.

Lammy also cited the crucial role of the Arctic frontier for geopolitical competition and trade.

"We cannot bolster the UK’s defence ... without greater security in the Arctic," he said in the statement.

Lammy will become the first UK foreign secretary to visit one of the Arctic’s northernmost inhabited points when he travels to the Svalbard Archipelago.

“It’s more important than ever that we work with our allies in the High North, like Norway and Iceland, to enhance our ability to patrol and protect these waters,” he added.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Norway earlier in May, where he met with Baltic and Scandinavian allies to discuss further support for Ukraine.