Subsea surveillance: why connecting military and civilian assets could be crucial
High-end assets such as this Manta Ray large UUV will play a part in future subsea surveillance, but combining them with existing civilian infrastructure would provide more extensive and cost-effective coverage. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
As costs rise and threats multiply, maritime awareness is shifting from platforms to networks, and civilian infrastructure plays a central role.
Legacy approaches to underwater maritime awareness and defence, built around expensive crewed naval platforms, fixed arrays and episodic patrols, were designed for a different strategic environment and struggle to scale to today’s threat picture. UDT 2026, held this April in London, surfaced three distinct but converging responses to that problem.
First, Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, opened a presentation on “Exploiting the Allied Undersea Advantage” by reframing what anti-submarine warfare (ASW) success actually looks like.
ASW, he argued, does not have to mean the prosecution – damage or destruction – of enemy submarines. Drawing on Second World
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations]()
SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations
US Naval Special Warfare Command is assessing the feasibility of rapidly producing expendable mid-sized USVs in theatre to support SOF and maritime security missions.
-
![Germany’s F126 delays open the door for Rheinmetall’s naval ambitions]()
Germany’s F126 delays open the door for Rheinmetall’s naval ambitions
Germany’s F126 frigate crisis has handed Rheinmetall an opening it had been working towards for years, and the company intends to make the most of it.
-
![SOF Week 2026: MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system]()
SOF Week 2026: MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system
MARSOC is procuring the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 to address a longstanding combat diver navigation capability gap, improving underwater positioning, situational awareness and integration with existing diver propulsion vehicles.
