We started this underwater battlespace blog series by discussing how the subsea domain is an increasing area of congestion and competition. Evolving threats – such as to undersea cables – are posing greater risk to society and national security, prompting a government Policy Exchange paper to proclaim that “critical maritime infrastructure along the seabed resembles the exposed underbelly of national security in a new age of undersea warfare”.
We then outlined what the UK needs to do to enhance its subsea threat response and why a vital capability gap could be hindering progress. We need the indicators and warnings to prevent interference or attacks before they happen, yet the underwater communications capability that would enable such a proactive approach still represents a vital missing puzzle piece.
As such, there is a clear need for next-generation underwater networking solutions that address needs specific to the modern maritime environment. Such solutions must be able to provide seamless connectivity between data and communications interfaces and, of course, cope with the complexities that the subsea domain presents.
This is no mean feat and although progress is being made, there’s much more work to be done. So, in this last blog in our underwater battlespace series, we outline the next step to building a stable and secure subsea environment.
Payload development
As I referenced last time, industry is responding to the requirement for an underwater networking solution that meets today’s demands while considering the networking needs of underwater autonomous systems, deployables, seabed infrastructure, surface and crewed platforms, and above water systems.
Any network needs to support features such as dynamic and mobile network routing, network management, acquisition and authentication, as well as dealing with a wide range of bandwidth demands. Indeed, in recent field tests of a demonstrator system, we have demonstrated automatically managed data routing across a multi-node network comprising a mixture of through water, air-water interface, cabled, and through-air RF links. These field trials have tested scenarios that simulate the needs of operations relevant to mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare.
With this development in agile data networking, the deployment of off-board sensors to conduct data gathering can start to deliver against the need for timely intelligence harvesting. This is particularly relevant when employing sub-surface vehicles.
Payload integration
Challenged with improving the status quo, where data gathered underwater is mostly available for analysis after the mission has completed, the integration of a next-generation underwater networking capability into underwater platforms brings dynamic, mobile network routing into the equation.
To smart, autonomous subsea vehicles capable of edge processing of critical data points, integration of this capability introduces a tangible step towards the provision of in-mission, time sensitive intelligence. Thereby equipping the operator with the necessary indicators and warnings to enable evidence-based decision making.
Taking this a step further, this development will also facilitate the deployment of multiple vehicles simultaneously. This will allow the harvested data to be aggregated and combined to truly provide uncrewed wide-area surveillance at a time when maintenance of the undersea competitive edge is so critical.
Pushing forwards
With technological and operational developments bringing geopolitical competition to the underwater battlespace, there is no time to stand still. In the race to build and maintain a competitive edge in the subsea domain, where our critical undersea infrastructure is safe and secure from attack or compromise, we must invest in solutions that are equipped to share data and information between sensors, deciders and effectors.
And the demand signal for investment in connecting the underwater battlespace has recently been highlighted in the UK Strategic Defence Review, where the requirement for: “…a comprehensive and layered sensor network – operating on, above, and below the water – to create an integrated, multi-domain approach…” is front and centre of capability development for the Royal Navy.
Not only that, as an industry we must continue integrating new capabilities into defence trials and exercise programmes at pace. Testing under exercise conditions can inform and drive future development cycles, while establishing initial operating capability ahead of our adversaries.
Integrating capabilities such as next-generation underwater networking represents a tangible step towards the provision of in-mission, time sensitive intelligence – equipping operators with the necessary indicators and warnings to enable evidence-based decision making. With the right focus, we can engineer the underwater battlespace to our advantage. This is what will give the UK and her allies the tools to protect our indispensable undersea infrastructure, achieve secure control of the subsea environment, and look ahead to a future that is stable and prosperous.
Exploiting the underwater battlespace
With the subsea domain quickly emerging as a new arena of strategic conflict and competition, how can we engineer the underwater battlespace to our advantage?
Download our new paper to learn about the scale of the subsea threat and why there’s an urgent need for next-generation underwater networking capabilities that can help shape an effective response.