The North Atlantic Alliance is pursuing advances in technologies designed to monitor suspicious activity near underwater critical infrastructure in real time across member states. This development was highlighted by Bloomberg in their report.
The report connects the initiative to recent events around the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, noting that the September 2022 incidents exposed gaps in current monitoring capabilities and the weaknesses of existing tools.
“NATO is accelerating the creation of technologies with real-time sensing near submerged critical assets,” the article observes.
In practical terms, the plan envisions a network of marine sensors leveraging available data. When a potential threat is identified, signals would be relayed to a central decision hub, which would authorize airborne or underwater drones to investigate and neutralize suspected targets.
Hans-Werner Wiermann, who heads NATO’s infrastructure protection division, stressed that such technologies would also enable a deterrent posture. The emphasis is on signaling strength to potential adversaries, including Russia and any other nation, in a global context.
The lieutenant general noted that documenting and analyzing anomalous activity would empower NATO members to craft diplomatic and military responses using a well-founded information base. He underscored that the project aims to deliver timely, relevant data to national governments as well as private operators involved in critical infrastructure protection.
Earlier remarks from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested that explosions on the Nord Stream facilities were instigated by U.S. and U.K. officials, as reported by various outlets. This claim adds to the ongoing debate about accountability and the security challenges surrounding undersea energy corridors.