Exclusive: How Nato is fighting back against enemies sabotaging crucial undersea cables
Maritime threats are evolving rapidly, extending beyond traditional naval confrontations to targeting the unseen lifelines beneath our oceans – undersea cables.
These cables form the backbone of global communications and are essential for defence, but they're increasingly vulnerable to sabotage and interference from hostile forces.
BFBS Forces News journalists were the first to get access to Nato's cutting-edge technology being developed to counter these growing threats at the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) in La Spezia, Italy.
Here, Nato's leading scientists and engineers are developing revolutionary maritime solutions to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure.
Among the groundbreaking innovations is an advanced virtual reality system so novel that it hasn't even been named yet.
This technology allows divers to safely assess damage to underwater cables from dry land, eliminating the risks of diving into unknown dangers.
Using photogrammetry – a technique creating 3D virtual reconstructions from images – engineers can remotely visualise underwater damage, conduct forensic analysis, and make informed decisions without ever getting wet.
A pivotal part of Nato's response to the threat is Mainsail – a sophisticated monitoring system designed to identify and track suspicious vessels.
By gathering and fusing extensive data from remote sensors, Mainsail continuously analyses maritime activities.
If a ship behaves unusually – such as deviating from its route, slowing unexpectedly, or lingering near sensitive areas – Mainsail flags it immediately for further investigation.
Mainsail can't completely prevent adversaries from attempting sabotage, but it significantly boosts Nato's chances of early detection, enabling swift action to minimise potential damage.
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