As submarine drones and sensors will protect the Internet from sabotage from Russia and China
NATO considers the cause of the accident intentional diversion. After that, the authorities were concerned with the protection of underwater objects, but the question was to whom to instruct it. It is difficult to determine who is responsible for the defense of the infrastructure, which is privately owned and runs through the territory of several states, and is of national importance, reports Defense News.
Responsibility is expected to share the armies of different countries with equipment and special skills for underwater operations. But you still need to determine the amount of work and technology that should be used. The military analyst Sebastian Bruns (King University, Germany) proposed two main areas: he stressed that it is very difficult to monitor the situation deep underwater in a large area. Countries are currently developing both independently and at the EU level.
For example, the European Defense Agency (EDA) experts from Italy should offer the Sea Flow Program in the first quarter of 2023. In January, the Office launches a series of research in order to find vulnerability and close them with new technologies. In addition, the European authorities plan to study the mechanisms of national protection of underwater infrastructure.
In late April, the EDA symposium with the participation of military, civilian authorities, private companies and scientists should be worked at the end of April. At the beginning of 2022, France became the first country to adopt a new national security strategy focused on combat.
According to Stephen Horrell, a senior employee of the European Center for Policy Analysis), France has transferred the case to military rails through the aggressive policies of Russia and China, who invest a lot of funds in the technology of fighting underwater. "Russia and China are obviously striving to use underwater technologies to jeopardize the integrity of transocean cables and other objects located on the seabed," he commented Defense News.
Speaking of battles underwater, the military traditionally emphasize the fight against submarines, but recently the industry has expanded significantly due to the development of mine and unmanned technologies, as well as an increase in transoean cables and gas pipelines. At the same time, from 450 cables that make 99% of data exchange between continents, 51 pass through France.
At the time of adoption of the strategy, the French army had only two submarine units capable of immersed at a depth of 1 km: H1000 Ulisse and H2000 Diomede. Both were developed by ECA Group, which recently merged with the developer of IXBLUE navigation and autonomous systems under the new name - Exail. The French Defense Ministry has already announced the investment of funds in the test of more deep -water drones, intending to obtain one autonomous and one remote control unit by 2025.
According to Defense News, Esey 3 of the aforementioned devices were tested with the French military in 2020 and 2021 within the framework of the program for replacing 3 French hydrographic vessels with newer ships capable of exploring the seabed more accurately. Within another French Ministry of Defense Program, in 2023, Thales new mine -replacing robots for replacing man -made Navy ships.
French companies Marine Tech and Hologarde are developing a Manta unmanned hybrid apparatus, completely electric. Italy's Navy seeks to protect Internet cables that run at the bottom of the Mediterranean within an agreement with the Italian TV Committee-Company of Sparkle. The military will monitor the infrastructure in the sea, make cards and respond to emergencies. According to Counterradmiral Vito Lasheren, Italian submarines can work with underwater drones to better defend the cables.
The source in the Navy of Italy reported that the service considers the possibility of conducting research of the concept of the sensor, adding that the service is known about the work carried out by the National Physical Laboratory of the United Kingdom and other partners. The experts of the laboratory concluded that underwater pressure and vibrations interfere with the transmission of signals on underwater optic cables, but changes can be registered.
The team used a 5 860-kilometer cable between the United Kingdom and Canada for testing and found that the gaps between the signal reinforcement can be used as separate sensors. Yes, underwater cables can be used to detect earthquakes and tsunami around the world. However, in order for the technology to become useful for the military, the sensors must register submarines and drones that affect infrastructure.
The United Kingdom has also taken care of unmanned technologies through oil and gas production in the North Sea. The country has long been using small underground drones, mainly to search for mines, and new developments allow them to be used for exploration and protection of underwater infrastructure. The royal fleet of Great Britain has concluded a $ 18 million agreement with MSUBS, which is engaged in underwater technology.
Under the contract, she undertook to build a 12-meter apparatus weighing 17 tons and 1 609 km by 2025. The project is called Cetus, with the help of the British military want to understand how effectively they can use autonomous submarines. In addition, the United Kingdom invests money in the infrastructure protection program.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the £ 20 million will be put in the purchase of a remote controlled submarine, capable of manipulating objects and removing images with high resolution at a depth of up to 6,000 m. Germany focused on sensors for infrastructure monitoring in the North and Baltic Seas. Navy Navy Commander Wescadmiral Jan Christian Kakau noted that many private companies have already used technologies to collect data on the state of underwater equipment.
According to the source in the maritime service, it proposes to integrate data of sensors obtained by operators, oceanic research institutes, police and naval forces, into one operational network that tracks and under water. Earlier, they wrote that in Australia, a new underwater drone called Dive-Ld was being tested within the Project of the Shark-Ghost.