The UK has announced a major technological push to protect its undersea cables and pipelines, following heightened concerns over recent Russian naval activity, including the presence of the intelligence-gathering ship Yantar near British waters last month.
Defence chiefs have set out multimillion-pound plans under Atlantic Bastion, a programme introduced in the Strategic Defence Review. The initiative will integrate autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, warships and aircraft to detect and respond to threats against critical underwater infrastructure.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the move is a direct response to a resurgence in Russian submarine and underwater operations. This year, the project has already attracted £14 million in combined investment from the MoD and industry partners, with hopes that new systems could be deployed as early as next year. A total of 26 companies from the UK and Europe have submitted proposals.
Last week, Defence Secretary John Healey visited Portsmouth Naval Base to view some of the early technology being considered for Atlantic Bastion. Demonstrations included the SG-1 Fathom underwater glider, Rattler unmanned surface vessel, a model of the Proteus autonomous anti-submarine helicopter, and the Excalibur uncrewed experimental submarine.
Mr Healey warned that underwater threats were becoming increasingly sophisticated, saying:
“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.”
The launch of Atlantic Bastion aligns with a speech by First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins at the International Sea Power Conference in London. Sir Gwyn is expected to stress that the maritime domain is becoming more vulnerable, adding:
“This begins with Atlantic Bastion, our bold new approach to secure the underwater battlespace against a modernising Russia.”
An MoD spokesperson outlined the scale of the programme, explaining that the system will link ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels through AI-powered acoustic detection technology, forming a digital targeting network designed to accelerate decisions and responses to hostile activity.
The protection of subsea infrastructure remains a critical priority for the UK. Undersea cables carry 99% of international telecommunications data and support essential energy supplies including electricity, oil and gas.
In a related development, the UK and Norway signed a new defence agreement on Thursday, enabling their navies to operate a combined fleet of warships. The pact is aimed specifically at strengthening the protection of undersea cables.
