The world is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the era of\n\u2018underwater warfare\u2019 may have already begun. Both nations and\ncorporations are increasingly recognising that the future of conflict\nlies not only in the skies but also on the seabed. Significant capital\nis being directed towards new technologies designed for subsea use,\ndriven by growing concerns regarding the vulnerability of vital\ninfrastructure, such as connectivity cables and energy pipelines, that\ntraverse the ocean floor.<\/p>\n
This shift occurs amidst rising anxieties over \u2018hybrid warfare\u2019\u2014a\nbroad term encompassing cyberattacks, energy sabotage, disinformation,\nand economic pressure, which may or may as well be accompanied by\nconventional military methods. \u201cThe changing threat landscape is what\nhas brought this to the fore,\u201d said Katja Bego, a senior researcher at\nChatham House, as reported by CNBC International.<\/p>\n
Simultaneously, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence,\ndrones, and autonomous technology are enabling new approaches to\nunderwater surveillance. From autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to\nsensors attached to subsea cables, governments and military alliances\nare exploring ways to better monitor the infrastructure that sustains\nthe global economy. \u201cOur entire economy is built upon this,\u201d Bego\nadded.<\/p>\n
In September 2022, following Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,\nexplosions damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.\nInvestigators concluded that the pipelines, built to transport natural\ngas from Russia to Germany, had been deliberately sabotaged. This\nincident, alongside damage to subsea infrastructure in other regions\nsuch as the Arctic and near Taiwan, has focused government attention on\nvulnerabilities that had been largely overlooked in the decades\nfollowing the Cold War.<\/p>\n
According to TeleGeography, a telecommunications research firm\ntracking global subsea cable networks, over 1.5 million km of undersea\ncommunication cables were operational globally by early 2026. Alongside\ntelecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines, an expanding\nnetwork of subsea power cables is connecting electricity markets and\ntransporting power from offshore wind farms to the mainland.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the widespread use of aerial drones during the war\nbetween Ukraine and Russia has demonstrated how remote-operated\nautonomous systems can transform the nature of warfare. Bego described\nthe maritime environment as the \u201cnext logical domain.\u201d Consequently,\ndefence companies are positioning themselves to meet this shift.<\/p>\n
Italian shipbuilding firm Fincantieri announced plans last July to\nacquire majority stakes in four companies worth approximately \u20ac600\nmillion (US$689 million) to expand its capabilities in underwater and\nsurface drones, marine surveying, and subsea communications. The company\nis leveraging over a century of submarine expertise to transition from\nwhat CEO Pierroberto Folgiero calls the \u201cconventional underwater\u201d world\nto a \u201cnon-conventional\u201d era involving smaller submarines, drones, and\nunderwater telecommunications.<\/p>\n
Folgiero described underwater telecommunications as the \u201cprimary\ndriver of this new ecosystem.\u201d He envisions future surface vessels\nacting as \u201cmotherships,\u201d coordinating a network of vehicles operating on\nthe seabed and throughout the water column. Fincantieri is not alone;\nmajor defence groups, including France\u2019s Thales, have built businesses\nspanning sonar, anti-submarine warfare, mine detection, and autonomous\nunderwater systems, as both large and small firms vie for a role in the\nemerging subsea market.<\/p>\n
In the realm of underwater drones, the German-based defence\ntechnology company Euroatlas is targeting the potentially lucrative\nseabed defence market. According to Verineia Codrean, the company\u2019s head\nof strategy and partnerships, they have developed an autonomous\nunderwater vehicle named GrayShark, capable of travelling to specified\nareas and executing missions without continuous human control.<\/p>\n
This robot is designed to avoid obstacles and follow pre-set\ninstructions when encountering unexpected objects. For instance, while\ninspecting a pipeline, the robot can identify mine-like objects, report\nthe finding, and wait for an operator to decide if further investigation\nis required. Rather than patrolling every mile of cable with warships,\nCodrean envisions a future with a fleet of autonomous vehicles\nconstantly patrolling strategic seabed areas, converging whenever one\ndetects an anomaly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is almost impossible to cover the entire ocean. You only need to\nknow which areas are more critical to have constant visibility of what\nis happening there,\u201d said Codrean. She argued that this is essentially a\nproblem of scale, as frigates, submarines, and maritime patrol aircraft\nare too expensive and scarce to maintain a continuous presence across\nthe vast regions where cables, pipelines, and other strategic assets\nreside.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe undersea domain is now facing a series of much larger problems\nthat did not previously exist. From a mathematical perspective, [manned\nassets] cannot be everywhere and at every place where these problems\narise, whether it be sabotage or the movement of enemy submarines,\u201d\nexplained Codrean.<\/p>\n
Machine versus machine: Autonomous vehicles are being developed not\nonly for infrastructure surveillance. Alongside anti-submarine warfare,\nwhere submarines target other manned submarines\u2026<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-world-is-becoming-more-advanced-has-underwater-warfare-begun-1789901515", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }