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UK Unveils Undersea Military Technology to Defend Against 'New Era of Threat'

Artificial Intelligence

Business Honor UK Undersea Military Tech Defence Rise

Business Honor
08 December, 2025

The Atlantic Bastion programme blends AI and autonomous vehicles to safeguard underwater infrastructures, enhancing maritime security.

The Atlantic Bastion programme, introduced through the Strategic Defence Review, will utilize autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI) in conjunction with naval vessels and airplanes to assist in identifying threats to underwater infrastructures and providing defence against them. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), this programme was created as a direct reaction to the increase in Russian submarine and underwater activities, particularly following the movement of the spy vessel Yantar, which was detected within British territorial waters in April. The combined funding of £14 million from both the MoD and industry for the project is anticipated that this technology will be operational in 2024; 26 businesses within the United Kingdom and Europe have expressed an interest and submitted applications for the project.

The country's undersea infrastructure is critical for the UK's connectivity in the global marketplace, with 99% of inbound and outbound telecommunications traffic transmitted via undersea cables; therefore, it is an essential component for continued growth and development. According to Defence Secretary Healey, "It's very clear that the UK and its Allies have entered into a brand new, very dangerous world of underwater threats to critical infrastructure."

Coinciding with this new era of threat and innovation has been a speech delivered by First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, at the International Sea Power Conference in London. Sir Gwyn is expected to announce the start of a new phase of innovation in defence technology: "The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has indicated that the threats to the UK's maritime domain are growing; therefore it is necessary for the UK to increase the priority placed upon maritime security; it is now the time to act."