Defence at depth: Seabed warfare in the spotlight
Technologies from the commercial sector, such as Saab's Sabertooth AUV/ROV pictured, could be key to tackling emerging seabed warfare requirements. (Photo: Saab)
When multiple leaks sprung on the NordStream 1 and 2 pipelines this summer, governments and navies were reminded of the threat posed to seabed infrastructure.
Speaking to reporters at Euronaval in Paris in October, Saab defence sales manager Chris Lade outlined the challenges of seabed warfare, including depth, power and communications.
Navies have practised seabed warfare for years in the form of mine countermeasures, hydrography and other missions; however, Lade said what had changed was the seabed itself with the proliferation of cables and pipelines.
For example, around 99% of the UK’s telecoms traffic is transmitted via subsea cables. On top of this, as much as $1.9 trillion of foreign exchange cross-border trading occurs every day using the UK’s subsea fibre-optic cable network, highllighting the importance of
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