Securing Underwater Infrastructure: A Multi-prong Approach to Addressing Escalating Threats
Escalating Threats to Subsea Assets
On January 26, 2025, a fiber-optic telecommunications cable connecting Latvia and Sweden was damaged, leading to significant data transmission disruptions. This event follows a series of similar incidents in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns over the security of critical undersea infrastructure.
In December 2024, the Estlink 2 submarine power cable between Estonia and Finland experienced an unplanned failure, reducing cross-border electricity capacity. Repairs are expected to take months and cost tens of millions of euros.
Over the last 15 months, at least 11 undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged, impacting vital services such as internet connectivity and power transmission. These events emphasize the urgent need for robust security measures and technological innovation to protect subsea assets.
NATO's Response: Operation Baltic Sentry
In response to the growing threats, NATO launched Operation Baltic Sentry on January 14, 2025. This multi-domain vigilance activity aims to increase maritime situational awareness in the Baltic Sea and deter attacks on Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI). Key components of the operation include:
While these efforts mark an important step, safeguarding underwater infrastructure demands a multi-layered, technology-driven strategy to deter, detect, and respond to emerging threats.
Multi-Prong Approaches to Underwater Infrastructure Protection
The growing frequency of subsea incidents necessitates a collaborative, technology-driven approach that combines autonomous surveillance, mesh network architectures, and advanced sensing technologies.
Autonomous Surveillance Systems
Advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have paved the way for autonomous surveillance vehicles that can operate both on the surface and underwater. These systems can form part of a dynamic mesh network, working in tandem with fixed sensors to monitor the security of underwater assets.
Key features of such systems include:
1. Real-time data transmission: Utilizing optical communication technologies for high-speed, low-latency wireless connectivity underwater.
2. Adaptive navigation: AI-powered algorithms enabling vehicles to navigate complex underwater environments autonomously.
3. Multi-sensor integration: Incorporation of various sensors (e.g., sonar, magnetometers, optical cameras) for comprehensive asset integrity inspections.
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4. Automated data analytics: Machine learning algorithms for real-time analysis of collected data, enabling rapid threat detection and response.
Mesh Network Architecture
A mesh network of autonomous vehicles and fixed sensors can provide continuous, comprehensive monitoring of underwater infrastructure. This approach offers several advantages:
1. Redundancy: Multiple nodes ensure continued operation even if individual components fail.
2. Scalability: Easy expansion of the network to cover larger areas or incorporate new technologies.
3. Adaptive coverage: Dynamic reallocation of resources based on detected threats or changing environmental conditions.
4. Enhanced situational awareness: Integration of data from multiple sources for a more complete picture of the underwater environment.
Advanced Sensing Technologies
Ongoing research in underwater sensing technologies is crucial for improving the detection and characterization of potential threats. Areas of focus include:
1. Distributed acoustic sensing: Using fiber-optic cables themselves as sensors to detect disturbances along their entire length.
2. Quantum sensing: Exploiting quantum mechanical effects for ultra-sensitive detection of magnetic anomalies or vibrations.
3. Bioinspired sensors: Mimicking biological systems (e.g., lateral line systems in fish) for improved underwater sensing capabilities.
Hydromea’s Contribution to Underwater Security
As the frequency of subsea infrastructure incidents increases, adopting innovative, scientifically-driven approaches to underwater asset protection becomes imperative. By leveraging autonomous surveillance systems, mesh network architectures, and advanced sensing technologies, industries, and governments can enhance the security and resilience of critical underwater infrastructure. Continued research and development in these areas will be crucial for addressing the evolving challenges in this domain.
Hydromea already offers a number of solutions that augment the overall ecosystem of underwater security. Its low-power wireless optical communication nodes coupled with acoustic capabilities provide autonomous vehicles with a new way to exchange and harvest information.