Subsea Warfare Need Not Involve Target Destruction
Reporter: “Seabed warfare will increasingly be defined by the need to contest a dense battlespace teeming with sensor networks, communications nodes, autonomous vehicle hubs and energy systems, with a range of commercial, scientific and military assets, potentially finding themselves on a subsea strike target list.”Strachan explains the potential targets, and the weapons, and points out that a subsea strike would not require a target’s complete or even near destruction to achieve operational or strategic impact.“Minor damage, such as throttled power throughput, a degraded
Taiwan Completes Maiden Sea Trial for First Domestically Developed Sub
Taiwan completed the maiden sea trial for its first domestically developed submarine on Tuesday, a major step in a project aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese navy and protecting vital sea lanes in the event of war.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous submarine programme a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.The submarine programme has drawn on expertise and technology from several countries, including the United States and Britain, a breakthrough
Denmark Launches Sea Drones to Enhance Maritime Surveillance
Two sea drones were launched from a port south of Copenhagen on Monday (June 16) in a trial by Denmark's defence ministry as part of efforts to boost its maritime surveillance capabilities.The two Voyager-class USVs, which are owned and operated by U.S.-based company Saildrone, were towed out from the port of Koge, south of the Danish capital."The security situation dictates that we have to improve the combat ability of Danish defence and this includes also our navy," said Lieutenant General Kim Jesper Jorgensen, National Armaments Director at the Danish Ministry of Defence's
Learning from Ukraine, Taiwan Looks to Sea Drones to Counter China
the sea drone program. A broader funding package is expected later this year, which could include integration plans for locally built drones like those by Thunder Tiger and Lungteh Shipbuilding, as well as prospective contributions from foreign defense firms such as Huntington Ingalls Industries.From a subsea and maritime industry perspective, Taiwan’s approach underscores the growing importance of dual-use innovation and localized manufacturing. Sea drones offer a particularly appealing strategic value: low signature, low cost, and high potential for disruption in contested waters."By flooding
Global Underwater Hub: MoD Must Engage With UK Subsea Industry to Bolster Defense Assets
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) must engage with the UK’s underwater sector to ensure the country is prepared for a potentially “existential” attack on national subsea infrastructure, says Global Underwater Hub (GUH), the leading trade and industry body for the country’s USD$12.24 billion (£9 billion) subsea sector.The call comes following the publication of the UK government’s 2025 Strategic Defence Review. GUH says that the MoD’s outdated procurement mechanisms are being outrun by the rapidly evolving nature of threats facing the country.“Instead of
Deep Strike: Seabed Warfare Will Target More Than Cables and Pipelines
undersea domain. Seabed warfare will increasingly be defined by the need to contest a dense battlespace teeming with sensor networks, communications nodes, autonomous vehicle hubs, and energy systems, with a range of commercial, scientific, and military assets, potentially finding themselves on a subsea strike target list. A 2023 Hudson Institute report, “Fighting Into the Bastions: Getting Noisier to Sustain the U.S. Advantage,” goes so far as to frame the coming battle for undersea supremacy as an analog to World War II and Cold War air operations. “Improved adversary defenses
Mother Ship with USV Flotilla Could Boost Coast Guard Capabilities
to rescue survivors, provide first-aid treatment, and work with other resources, such as helicopters, if required. It could also be fitted for emergency response equipment or pollution control containers and medical facilities.Consideration could be given to fitting equipment and facilities for subsea cable repair, whereby the ship would be on station, but the specialized technicians and repair crew could be flown from the nearest airport.The flotilla, up to four USVs, would provide extended range monitoring and on-scene presence, possibly up to 400 NM. This could allow two or three flotillas
February 2025
