Strategic Focus Shifts to Critical Subsea Infrastructure Defense

A significant strategic pivot is underway as nations and corporations recognize that the future of warfare extends beyond airspace into the depths of the ocean. Attention is increasingly being directed toward the protection of critical infrastructure, including telecommunications cables and energy pipelines, which traverse the seabed. This development is occurring against a backdrop of growing anxiety regarding hybrid warfare tactics, which may involve cyberattacks, sabotage, and economic pressure, potentially without the use of conventional military force.

According to Katja Bego, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, the changing threat environment has brought these vulnerabilities to the forefront of international security discussions. She notes that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, drones, and autonomous technologies are enabling new approaches to underwater surveillance. Governments and military alliances are now exploring methods to better monitor the infrastructure that underpins the global economy, acknowledging that the entire economic structure relies heavily on these subsea networks.

Incidents Expose Long-Lasting Vulnerabilities

The urgency of this shift was highlighted in September 2022, when explosions ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea. Investigators determined that the pipelines, which were designed to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany, had been deliberately sabotaged. This incident, alongside similar damage to subsea infrastructure in the Arctic and near Taiwan, has focused government attention on vulnerabilities that had received little scrutiny in the decades following the Cold War.

Bego describes the situation as a period of significant catching up, noting that the domain has been neglected for a long time. As of early 2026, more than 1.5 million kilometers of submarine communications cables are in service globally, according to TeleGeography, a telecommunications research firm. Alongside these, a growing network of subsea power cables connects electricity markets and carries power from offshore wind farms to land, further increasing the strategic importance of the ocean floor.

Defense Industry Prepares for Underwater Expansion

Defense companies are positioning themselves to capitalize on this emerging market. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced plans in July to acquire majority stakes in four companies for approximately 600 million euros to expand capabilities in underwater and surface drones, marine surveying, and subsea communications. The company aims to transition from conventional underwater operations to an unconventional ecosystem involving smaller submarines and autonomous systems, with its CEO describing underwater telecommunications as the real enabler of this new environment.

Other major defense groups, including France’s Thales, have established businesses spanning sonar, anti-submarine warfare, and autonomous underwater systems. German defense-tech firm Euroatlas is also developing autonomous underwater vehicles designed to carry out missions without continuous human oversight. These efforts reflect a broader industry trend where both large and small firms seek a role in the emerging market for operating beneath the ocean surface, viewing the maritime environment as the next logical domain for military competition.

Monitoring the Evolving Maritime Threat Landscape

The widespread deployment of aerial drones during the war between Ukraine and Russia has demonstrated how autonomous systems can alter the nature of warfare. This precedent is driving the development of similar capabilities for the maritime domain. As described in reporting from GN auto geopolitics/global: arms race, the focus is on creating robust surveillance networks that can protect critical assets from sabotage and espionage. The next steps will likely involve increased international cooperation on security standards and the deployment of more advanced autonomous monitoring systems.