NATO is preparing to deploy unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas to safeguard vital undersea internet cables and infrastructure. According to reporting from DefenseNews, these autonomous boats will act as a persistent surveillance network, operating like a “street-lighting” system at sea by continually monitoring activity both on and below the water’s surface.
The alliance aims to use a fleet of unmanned boats equipped with cameras and sensors to detect and deter potential threats to undersea cables. Admiral Pierre Vandier, speaking to DefenseNews, indicated that current technology makes such a maritime security concept feasible.
NATO’s approach draws on the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59 experiments in the Middle East, where more than 23 different unmanned systems have been tested, refined, and integrated. In some cases, these systems have also been armed.
The initiative follows a recent incident in the Baltic Sea where two critical underwater fiber cables linking Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, and Germany were severed and initially attributed to possible sabotage. After investigation, the damage may have been caused by a commercial vessel dragging its anchor along the seabed.
Reader Interactions