Ariel view of the Nord Stream gas leak seen from a Danish defence aircraft at mid-sea in Denmark September 30, 2022. Danish Defence Command/Handout via REUTERS
BIRMINGHAM, England, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Britain will acquire two specialist ships to protect underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, defense minister Ben Wallace said on Sunday, following leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Europe.
European countries say the Nord Stream pipelines were damaged by “sabotage” but have stopped short of blaming Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Western countries.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, central England, Wallacespoke about “mysterious damage” inflicted to the pipelines but made clear that he saw the threat to Britain’s infrastructure as coming from Russia.
“It should remind us all how fragile our economy and infrastructure is to such to such hybrid attacks … Our internet and our energy are highly reliant on pipelines and cables. Russia makes no secret of its ability to target such infrastructure,” Wallace said.
“So for that reason I can announce we have recently committed to two specialist ships with the capability to keep our cables and pipelines safe.”
Wallace said the first “multi-role survey ship for seabed warfare” would be bought this year and would be operational by the end of next year, while the second ship would be built in the United Kingdom.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper and Nick Macfie)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,770 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group has completed its $100 million acquisition of Philly Shipyard through its subsidiaries Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean, marking a historic moment as the first Korean...
The biggest vessel-ordering program since the eve of the global financial crisis is putting a squeeze on the shipbuilding industry’s capacity to construct new vessels.
Spanish state-held shipbuilder Navantia will acquire the shipyards of Britain's Harland & Wolff, the Belfast-based company best known for building the Titanic, the British government said on Thursday.
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,770 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
