NATO deploys 'maritime drones' to protect undersea cable infrastructure
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces have announced that they will deploy unmanned surface vessels to protect power and communications cables that run under the Baltic Sea. The vessels will be able to monitor critical areas 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Drone Boats Being Rushed To Help Prevent Baltic Seafloor Cable Sabotage
NATO deploys 'sea drones' to safeguard undersea cable infrastructure | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/nato-deploys-sea-drones-to-safeguard-undersea-cable-infrastructure
On January 14, 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other leaders of the Baltic Alliance countries, together with Finnish President Alexander Stübb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal , co-hosted a summit. They agreed to launch an initiative called 'Baltic Sentry' to counter threats to critical infrastructure, particularly undersea infrastructure.
Baltic Sentry will incorporate existing forces such as frigates and maritime patrol aircraft, as well as new technologies, including a fleet of small naval drones. The drone fleet will be deployed to NATO's Maritime Command (MARCOM) in the coming weeks to provide 24/7 surveillance of key areas, including near undersea cables that run underground in the Baltic Sea. 'This is the first time NATO has used drones in this way,' said Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander of the Transformation .
The move comes after a series of damages to several undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
In October 2023, a gas pipeline and a communications cable connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged , leading Finnish authorities to investigate a Hong Kong-flagged container ship for suspected deliberate sabotage. In November 2024, submarine cables connecting Lithuania and Sweden, and Finland and Germany, were damaged in the Baltic Sea. The Danish Navy has seized a Chinese-flagged ship suspected of involvement in the incident, and an investigation is ongoing .
In December 2024, an undersea cable connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged . Finnish authorities suspect that a Cook Islands-flagged tanker sailing nearby at the time may have damaged the cable, and are investigating the possibility of Russian sabotage. However, some believe that the incident was an accident.
Officials are beginning to think that the damage to the Baltic Sea undersea cable, suspected to be caused by Russian sabotage, was 'likely to have been an accident after all' - GIGAZINE
According to NATO, the drones are equipped with sensors that recognize the surrounding situation, and the data obtained will be shared with all parties involved, and a network will be built to cover a specific area. A NATO spokesperson said, 'Baltic Sentry will have at least 20 USVs deployed,' but it has not been decided which aircraft will be used.
NATO also showcased the U.S. Navy's unmanned surface vehicle during the REPMUS 22 exercise in 2022.
At the opening of the meeting, the leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden issued a joint statement saying, 'Any attack against our infrastructure will be met with a firm response. We stand ready to respond appropriately to any hostile acts.'
Related Posts:
in Posted by log1p_kr