The UK government has announced plans to strengthen the protection of undersea cables using autonomous vessels. Military ships and aircraft will also be involved in this “defense.”
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Atlantic Bastion program has been linked to the alleged increase in activity by foreign vessels, including the Russian research vessel Yantar. According to Defence Secretary John Healey, it was mapping the UK’s undersea cable infrastructure.
In his statement, Healey emphasized that Atlantic Bastion represents the Royal Navy’s vision for the future. The program combines the latest autonomous systems and artificial intelligence technologies with world-class warships and aircraft.
A recent review of the UK’s defence forces, the Register reports , highlighted the need to address vulnerabilities at sea. It also highlights the modernization of opposing forces, and in response, a revolutionary submarine network is being developed from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Norwegian Sea.
It will be “more autonomous, more resilient, more lethal,” and, importantly, built by the British, Healey said. The American Anduril and German Helsing , both specializing in autonomous defense systems, will participate in its implementation, as will the British BAE Systems.
In May, the British Army announced a £24 million contract as part of the Atlantic Network initiative . Contractors will own and operate small-manned, autonomous, or remotely operated systems. They will provide the Royal Navy with acoustic data analyzed by artificial intelligence.
The United Kingdom relies heavily on submarine cables. A recent parliamentary report revealed that the country has 64. However, three-quarters of transatlantic traffic travels on just two cables, with landing stations located in Bude, Cornwall . According to the military, while national communications are “not at immediate risk,” it is necessary to be prepared for the possibility that cables could be compromised in certain circumstances.
According to Datacenter Dynamics, the UK has also signed an agreement with Norway to jointly protect undersea cables and other assets from the navies of hostile states. Thirteen warships are expected to operate in the North Atlantic. Foreign naval activity in UK territorial waters is said to have increased by 30% over the past two years. The new vessels will patrol British and Norwegian territorial waters, as well as sailing near Iceland and Greenland. In September, it was reported that the UK would supply the Norwegian Navy with at least five new vessels, worth a total of £10 billion ($13 billion).
The cooperation includes year-round British training in Norway, the use of advanced Norwegian systems, joint weapons development and participation in joint exercises.
The UK will also join the Norwegian programme to develop “motherships” for unmanned minehunting systems and submarine combat systems. The UK and Norway will lead NATO’s implementation of these solutions in the High North.
In the summer of 2025, NATO announced the Baltic Sentry program to protect undersea cables in the Baltic, which will involve ships, aircraft, drones and other assets.
Follow us on Google News to receive daily updates on cybersecurity. Contact us if you would like to report news, insights or content for publication.
