The UK Ministry of Defence has unveiled the £14 million Atlantic Bastion programme, a cutting-edge initiative designed to protect Britain’s subsea cables and pipelines from suspected Russian sabotage operations.

The rollout comes amid heightened tensions following the sighting of the Russian spy vessel Yantar near Scottish waters last month.

Defence Secretary John Healey, touring prototypes at Portsmouth Naval Base, showcased a suite of autonomous systems: the SG-1 Fathom underwater glider, Rattler unmanned surface vessel, Proteus autonomous anti-submarine helicopter model, and the Excalibur uncrewed submarine. Healey warned: “Adversaries are targeting the infrastructure critical to our way of life. This new era of undersea threats demands wartime-paced innovation.”

The programme, embedded in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), responds to NATO intelligence that Russia has doubled submarine patrols in the North Atlantic since 2022. Subsea cables carry 99% of transatlantic data and energy flows, making them prime targets for hybrid warfare. Recent incidents in the Baltic, where cables were severed amid Chinese and Russian vessel activity, underscore the vulnerability.

Atlantic Bastion’s blueprint integrates:

• AI-driven acoustic sensors for real-time threat mapping.
• Unmanned vehicles (gliders, boats, subs) for persistent surveillance.
• Warships, submarines, and aircraft linked via a “digital targeting web” for rapid response.
• Industry partnerships, with 26 UK and European firms bidding for contracts, aiming for 2026 deployment.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Gwyn Jenkins, speaking at the International Sea Power Conference, called the maritime domain “increasingly vulnerable” and positioned Atlantic Bastion as the SDR’s maritime pillar. He pledged to “secure the underwater battlespace against a modernising Russia.”

The rollout coincides with a UK-Norway pact signed last week to pool naval fleets for joint cable patrols. Norway, a key energy exporter, faces similar exposure. Broader NATO efforts, including U.S.-led mine-hunting operations, reflect alliance-wide concern. A RAND report (2024) warned that a single major cable cut could cost Europe €10 billion per day in disrupted trade.

Critics, including opposition MPs, question the funding amid £2.5 billion Royal Navy cuts, but Healey insists the tech pivot enhances deterrence without risking personnel. Observers note the initiative signals Britain’s resolve to innovate in the “silent depths,” where undersea warfare is rapidly evolving.