Defence Secretary unveils hi-tech naval force to defend undersea cables
Defence Secretary John Healey has said the UK and its allies are ready to “track and deter” Russian submarines as he revealed plans for a new multi-million pound hi-tech force to protect undersea cables and pipelines.
The hybrid naval force, named Atlantic Bastion, will combine autonomous vehicles and AI with warships and aircraft to identify threats to underwater structure and to defend them from interference.
Subsea infrastructure is the lifeblood of the UK’s connectivity, carrying 99% of international telecommunications data and vital energy supplies such as electricity, oil and gas.
The move comes after cables in the Baltic Sea have been reported to have been damaged recently and UK defence intelligence has identified that Russia is modernising its fleet to target undersea cables and pipelines.
Speaking during a visit to Portsmouth Naval Base, Mr Healey told the Press Association: “We know what Putin is doing. We know what Putin is developing.
“And we’ve seen in recent weeks, for example, their spy ship, Yantar, in and out of UK waters, and we’re able to find them, whether they are on the surface or underwater.
“We’re able to find them, track them and, if necessary, we are ready with allies to act to deter them.”
Atlantic Bastion will involve the development and testing of state-of-the-art anti-submarine sensor technology.
An MoD spokesman said: “Atlantic Bastion will create an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and Nato allies against evolving threats.
“It will enable the UK to find, track and, if required, act against adversaries with unprecedented effectiveness across vast areas of ocean.”
Mr Healey added: “People should be in no doubt of the new threats facing the UK and our allies under the sea, where adversaries are targeting infrastructure that is so critical to our way of life.
“This new era of threat demands a new era for defence and we must rapidly innovate at a wartime pace to maintain the battlefield edge as we deliver on the strategic defence review (SDR).
“Our pioneering Atlantic Bastion programme is a blueprint for the future of the Royal Navy.
“It combines the latest autonomous and AI technologies with world-class warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid fighting force to detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us.”
Speaking at the International Sea Power Conference on Monday, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins is expected to say: “We are a navy that thrives when it is allowed to adapt. To evolve. We have never stood still – because the threats never do.
“The SDR identified the maritime domain as increasingly vulnerable – and that maritime security is a strategic imperative for the UK. It is time to act.
“This begins with Atlantic Bastion – our bold new approach to secure the underwater battle-space against a modernising Russia. Our commitment to alliance. And it is happening now.
“A revolutionary underwater network is taking shape – from the mid-Atlantic ridge to the Norwegian Sea. More autonomous, more resilient, more lethal – and British built.
“We’ve already made rapid and significant progress with delivering Atlantic Bastion. A force that keeps us secure at home and strong abroad.”
The project has been launched with £14 million of MoD and industry early investment of £14 million for testing and development with 26 firms from the UK and Europe having submitted proposals.
The MoD spokesman said: “Atlantic Bastion will see ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels connected through AI-powered acoustic detection technology and integrated into a digital targeting web – a pioneering network of weapons systems that allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster.”
Mr Healey added: “This is the way that we keep our British military with allies like Norway, with the leading edge on the battlefields and the leading edge in technology that can be marketed around the world.
“This is why you see a really a special and different way that our Royal Navy is working with these companies to develop new technology, to try out new things, and that is to respond to the growing threats that we know that we face, including from Russia, both on top of the water and underneath.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub