The UK has launched a sweeping transformation of its naval defences with a new hybrid force designed to protect undersea cables, pipelines and critical national infrastructure…reports Asian Lite News
Britain has announced a major overhaul of its maritime security with the launch of Atlantic Bastion, a world-leading naval programme designed to defend the North Atlantic from growing Russian undersea threats. The initiative, outlined today as part of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), aims to protect vital infrastructure by creating a cutting-edge hybrid force that fuses autonomous and crewed capability across air, surface and sub-surface domains.
Unveiling early development work at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that millions of pounds are being invested this year to accelerate testing of anti-submarine sensor technology. He said the transformation is essential as the UK faces a sharp rise in Russian underwater activity, including the operations of spy ship Yantar around British waters, which he recently exposed. UK Defence Intelligence has assessed that Vladimir Putin is modernising Russia’s submarine fleet with the specific aim of targeting undersea cables and pipelines.
Healey warned that the nature of the threat demands rapid innovation. “People should be in no doubt of the new threats facing the UK and our allies under the sea, where adversaries are targeting infrastructure that is so critical to our way of life. This new era of threat demands a new era for defence, and we must rapidly innovate at a wartime pace to maintain the battlefield edge as we deliver on the Strategic Defence Review,” he said. “Our pioneering Atlantic Bastion programme is a blueprint for the future of the Royal Navy. It combines the latest autonomous and AI technologies with world-class warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid fighting force to detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us.”
The programme positions the UK at the forefront of a global shift towards hybrid navies, a sector valued at £350 billion. By integrating unmanned vessels, AI-powered acoustic detection systems and a digital targeting web with existing Royal Navy and RAF platforms, Atlantic Bastion promises unprecedented reach and responsiveness across vast ocean areas. It forms what the MoD describes as a revolutionary underwater network stretching from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Norwegian Sea.
Industry interest is already strong. A combined investment pot of £14 million from the Ministry of Defence and private partners has been committed this year, with 26 UK and European firms submitting proposals for anti-submarine sensors. Twenty companies – from major defence primes to tech start-ups – are showcasing prototypes, with private investment matching public funding at a ratio of 4:1. Selected firms will now move from concept to frontline development, with capabilities expected to enter the water next year.
The initiative is being cast as a cornerstone of both UK security and economic growth, with the potential to create thousands of skilled jobs in British shipyards, technology centres and defence engineering hubs. It also demonstrates the Government’s commitment to modernising NATO’s collective maritime capabilities.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins is expected to champion the programme at the International Sea Power Conference in London today, calling Atlantic Bastion a defining moment in Britain’s maritime evolution. “We are a Navy that thrives when it is allowed to adapt. To evolve. We have never stood still – because the threats never do,” he is expected to say. “The SDR identified the maritime domain as increasingly vulnerable – and that maritime security is a strategic imperative for the UK. It is time to act. This begins with Atlantic Bastion – our bold new approach to secure the underwater battlespace against a modernising Russia. Our commitment to Alliance. And it is happening now.”
He will highlight the rapid progress already made. “A revolutionary underwater network is taking shape – from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Norwegian Sea. More autonomous, more resilient, more lethal – and British built. We’ve already made rapid and significant progress with delivering Atlantic Bastion. A force that keeps us secure at home and strong abroad.”
Industry leaders have echoed that confidence. Dr Rich Drake of Anduril UK said: “The government has called upon industry to create the modern warfighter. We have designed Seabed Sentry in the UK in partnership with other British companies to deliver for our Armed Forces and protect allied waters from increasingly hostile actors. We are investing in British talent, in British technology and in Britain’s tomorrow. Anduril UK stands ready to defend British interests.”
