UK Launches ‘Atlantic Net’ to Track Russian Submarines and Protect Undersea Cables

The UK is moving ahead with a £90 million investment in autonomous underwater systems, advanced sensors and artificial intelligence to strengthen the Royal Navy’s ability to track Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic.

The initiative, known as Atlantic Net, is the first operational phase of the Royal Navy’s broader Atlantic Bastion programme, which aims to combine crewed warships and submarines with autonomous systems to improve underwater surveillance and counter potential threats to subsea communications cables, energy networks and shipping routes.

The UK Ministry of Defence announced the investment Tuesday during the International Sea Power Conference in Oslo, Norway, alongside a framework agreement with UK-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity Solutions.
GOV.UK

Under the arrangement, Ocean Infinity will serve as the Royal Navy’s commercial mission partner, helping develop and operate a network of autonomous and remotely operated systems capable of maintaining persistent surveillance across the North Atlantic.

The system will combine underwater sensors, uncrewed platforms, communications technology and AI-powered data analysis to detect and track potentially hostile submarine activity. The information will provide Royal Navy warships and Astute-class attack submarines with earlier warnings and a clearer picture of threats beneath the surface.

The programme is expected to become operational in 2027, according to UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard, who outlined the plans in a speech in Oslo.

“The threats beneath the North Atlantic are changing, and we are changing with them,” Pollard said. “This investment gives the Royal Navy new technology to find threats earlier and protect our critical infrastructure, while also backing British business.”

The investment comes amid growing concern among European governments and NATO allies over the vulnerability of underwater infrastructure, particularly communications cables and energy connections that are essential to both civilian economies and military operations.

Atlantic Bastion is intended to expand the Navy’s ability to monitor these networks while strengthening anti-submarine warfare capabilities and supporting the protection of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

For Ocean Infinity, the agreement marks a significant expansion of its role in defense and maritime security.

The company, which has developed autonomous and remotely operated marine systems for commercial operations, said Atlantic Net represents a shift toward sustained underwater surveillance using a combination of uncrewed, autonomous and smaller-crewed platforms.

“The Royal Navy has been exploring how to move beyond traditional, heavily crewed fleets towards a broader mix of robotic and lean-crewed platforms,” said Joe Robinson, President of Solutions at Ocean Infinity.

“Atlantic Net is that idea coming to life.”

Ocean Infinity said its role will include integrating maritime platforms, underwater sensors, communications, remote operations and data services into a coordinated surveillance capability directed by the Royal Navy.
Ocean Infinity

The £90 million framework is also expected to support nearly 200 skilled jobs within Ocean Infinity and its immediate supply chain, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The programme will operate alongside NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, with the goal of expanding the scale and persistence of underwater surveillance across the North Atlantic.

The announcement also forms part of a broader British push toward a hybrid naval fleet that uses autonomous technology to supplement traditional warships and submarines, allowing the Royal Navy to monitor larger areas without relying entirely on crewed vessels.

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