UK commits £90 million to “Atlantic Net” drones and sensors to hunt Russian submarines and guard undersea cables

The United Kingdom is putting £90 million into a network of drones, sensors and autonomous systems meant to give the Royal Navy earlier warning of Russian submarines in the North Atlantic and to protect the cables and energy links on the seabed. The UK Ministry of Defence announced the framework on 10 November at the International Sea Power Conference in Oslo, Norway.

The system is called Atlantic Net. According to the UK government announcement, it will combine advanced sensors with uncrewed systems that patrol underwater, feeding what the ministry describes as a single surveillance service to the Navy’s submarine-hunting warships and Astute-class submarines.

What Atlantic Net is meant to do

The ministry says the network will work alongside the crewed fleet to detect Russian submarines and “nefarious activity”, and to protect the UK’s nuclear deterrent as well as undersea infrastructure. That infrastructure includes communications cables and energy networks that connect and power the UK and its allies.

Atlantic Net is the first phase of Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy programme to build a hybrid naval force of crewed and uncrewed vessels. The ministry calls this a key recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review. It adds that the programme will operate alongside NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies and is designed to strengthen protection against interference, sabotage and hostile activity.

The contract and the jobs

The framework is with Ocean Infinity Solutions, a Hampshire-based British company. The Royal Navy and the company will bring together maritime systems, underwater sensing, communications, remote operations and data services into one capability directed by the Navy. The ministry says the framework will pave the way for £90 million of investment and support almost 200 new skilled jobs, as well as its immediate supply chain.

Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard said: “The threats beneath the North Atlantic are changing, and we are changing with them.” He said the investment gives the Navy new technology to find threats earlier and protect critical infrastructure while backing British business.

Background

Seabed infrastructure has been a growing security concern for European governments. London has already moved on the legal side: the government has already set out a proposal in UK proposes up to 14 years in prison for sabotage of undersea cables and pipelines. The Royal Navy’s own surface fleet is also under scrutiny: see Royal Navy has five anti-submarine frigates instead of eight: Commons Defence Committee sees “glaring gaps” against Russia in the High North.

The announcement does not give a delivery timetable or say how many uncrewed vehicles or sensors the £90 million will buy.