NATO Approves New Maritime Centre for Protection of Undersea Infrastructure

The Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Infrastructure located at NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood,UK was approved by the NATO Defence Ministerial held at Brussels last week.The Centre will create a new surveillance system for part of the Atlantic Ocean and areas of the North Sea,Baltic Sea,Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.In charge of the Centre is retired Bundeswehr Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann.NATO has received information that Russian ships have been mapping critical seabed infrastructure.Said Wiermann:There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life.* The Centre will bring Allies and the private sector together to help improve information sharing about evolving risks and threats,Mr.Wiermann said.Although it isn't possible to continuously monitor thousands of kilometres of undersea infrastructure,it will be possible to collect intelligence and obtain information from the private sector to connect the dots with.Undersea infrastucture includes underwater data systems,networks and grids,as well as oil and gas pipelines.* In 2022,the UK's Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radikin,KCB,ADC,told The Times newspaper he was concerned about the phenomenal increase in Russian submarine and underwater activity.Russia's underwater programme was intended to put at risk and potentially exploit the undersea fibre optic cables that provide the world's real information system,noting:That is where predominantly all the world's information and traffic travels.Russia has grown the capability to put at threat these undersea cables and potentially exploit these undersea cables.* Indeed,as early as 2017,then Chief of Defence Staff Chief Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach told the BBC that if these lines of communication were hit,it would immediately and catasrophically hit the economy.An estimated 77% of global communications and 10 trillion in daily financial transactions depend on the transmission cables.The vulnerability poses a new risk to our way of life.Said Sir Stuart:Russia in addition to new ships and submarines continues to perfect both unconventional capabilities and information warfare.The UK and its Allies need to match and understand Russian fleet modernisation.Russia is prepared to use unconventional assymetric warfare.* In the past decade,Russian undersea traffic has increased significantly in the North Atlantic,especially in the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap (GIUK).Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR) Admiral James Stavridis,US Navy retired,said more dark cables should be kept in reserve and NATO must be prepared to defend global undersea cables.They are the backbone of the world's economy.*Russia's threat to the cables comes primarily from submarines and spy ships deploying deep sea submersibles.Russia might attack the cables in retaliation against NATO for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.In response to this threat,NATO has increased its naval presence,including warships,submarines,Maritime Surveillance Aircraft and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV),in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea Region.* The new Centre is a coordination cell that brings key military and civilian stakeholders together,according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.The coordination cell will help broaden coverage;enhance deterrence;augment response capability;and increase opportunities to identify risks.Since 2021,seabed cables have been mysteriously severed off Lofoten,Norway;Svalbard,Norway;and the Shetland Islands,UK.