UK to use AI to tackle Russian submarines in new hi-tech naval force

The UK will use artificial intelligence to “track and deter” Russian submarines as part of a new multi-million pound high-tech force to protect Britain’s undersea cables and pipelines.

The hybrid naval force, called Atlantic Bastion, will combine autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence with warships and aircraft to detect threats to underwater structures and defend them against intrusions.

Announcing the plans, Defense Secretary John Healey said it would be “a highly advanced hybrid warfare force that will detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us”.

The move comes after reports of recent damage to cables in the Baltic Sea and UK defense intelligence found that Russia had modernized its fleet to target undersea cables and pipelines.

Last month the defense secretary was forced to issue a stern warning to Vladimir Putin after a Russian spy ship operating off British waters pointed a laser at RAF pilots.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned this week that Putin represented “an active threat to British citizens, our security and well-being” after a major investigation into the Salisbury novichok poisonings concluded that the Russian president ordered the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal as a “public display of Russian power”.

Submarine infrastructure is the lifeblood of the UK’s connectivity, carrying 99 per cent of international telecommunications data and 99 per cent of vital energy resources such as electricity, oil and gas.

Speaking during a visit to Portsmouth Naval Base, Mr Healey said: “We know what Putin has done. We know what Putin has developed.”

“And in recent weeks we have seen spy ships, for example. yantarWe can find them in and out of UK waters, whether on the surface or underwater.

“We can find them, we can track them, and we are ready to take action with our allies to deter them if necessary.”

The announcement comes as Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to visit London to discuss peace proposals; Ukraine faces a “pivotal” moment in the war with Russia, cabinet minister Pat McFadden warned on Sunday.

Ukraine’s president will meet Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Downing Street on Monday, amid ongoing talks between Ukrainian and US officials about a Washington-backed plan to end the war.

Mr McFadden told Sky News that Ukraine’s security and self-determination would be “at the heart” of the leaders’ discussions. Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “Right now is a really important moment. Everyone wants the war to end, but they want it to end in a way that gives Ukraine freedom of choice in the future.”

“So this means not only the end of the war, but also the provision of future security guarantees for Ukraine, and not a completely toothless organization that cannot decide its future.”

The UK has consistently pressed for any peace deal that includes security guarantees to Ukraine, both from the US and in the form of a British- and French-led “coalition of the willing”.

Atlantic Bastion will involve the development and testing of state-of-the-art anti-submarine sensor technology.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “Atlantic Bastion will create an advanced hybrid naval force to defend the UK and NATO allies against evolving threats.

“This will enable the UK to locate, track and, if necessary, act against its adversaries with unprecedented effectiveness across vast expanses of ocean.”

Mr Healey added: “People should be in no doubt about the new threats facing the UK and our allies under the sea, where adversaries are targeting infrastructure that is so critical to our way of life.

“This new era of threats requires a new era of defense, and we must innovate rapidly at wartime pace to maintain our advantage on the battlefield while meeting the strategic defense review (SDR).

“Our pioneering Atlantic Bastion program is a blueprint for the future of the Royal Navy.

“It combines the latest autonomous and artificial intelligence technologies with world-class warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid combat force to detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us.”

Speaking at the International Seapower Conference on Monday, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins is expected to say: “We are a navy that thrives when allowed to adapt, to evolve. We have never stood still, because threats never stop.”

“ [Strategic Defence Review] He noted that the maritime domain was becoming increasingly vulnerable and maritime security was a strategic imperative for the UK. It’s time to take action.

“This starts with Atlantic Bastion, our bold new approach to securing the underwater battlespace against a modernizing Russia. Our alliance commitment. And it’s happening right now.”

“A revolutionary underwater network is taking shape from the mid-Atlantic ridge to the Norwegian Sea. More autonomous, more durable, more lethal and British-made.

“We have made rapid and significant progress in delivering Atlantic Bastion, a force that keeps us safe at home and strong abroad.”

The project has been launched with MoD funding of £14 million for testing and development and early industry investment of £14 million, with 26 companies from across the UK and Europe submitting proposals.

It comes after the government announced earlier this week that Britain and Norway were set to sign a landmark defense agreement establishing a combined naval fleet specifically designed to track Russian submarines across the North Atlantic.

A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “Atlantic Bastion will connect ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels through AI-enabled acoustic sensing technology and will be integrated into the digital targeting network, a leading-edge network of weapon systems that enables faster battlefield decisions to target enemy threats.