The Royal Navy Is Forming a ‘Mini-NATO’ Inside NATO

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The United Kingdom’s “Northern Navies” initiative would combine the strength of several smaller NATO navies to meaningfully confront Russia in the Arctic.

In the 16th century, the “Holy League” coalition, organized by Pope Pius V to combat Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean, resulted in the creation of a fleet composed of more than 200 galleys and six galleases. Primarily made up of the forces of the Spanish Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, the Knights of Malta, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Savoy, and other Italian states, the fleet scored a decisive victory at the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571, the largest naval battle of the era, ending Ottoman domination of the Mediterranean.

The Holy League was one of the first major multilateral alliances in European history, and it served as an enduring lesson about the ability of multiple smaller powers to combine their finances, troops, and naval power to achieve victory against a larger adversary. In the 21st century, this has largely been NATO’s goal, which also sees its strength in its unity.

The UK’s Royal Navy is now seeking to create an intra-NATO naval alliance with its European partners to deter Russian aggression and expansion along the “open sea border” in the north.

“The reality is we must now deepen and evolve........

© The National Interest