NATO deploys 'sea drones' to safeguard undersea cable infrastructure
These drones would hopefully serve as a deterrent to undersea cable sabotage done by private vessels.

NATO has launched Operation Baltic Sentry to protect its undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea from sabotage. According to The War Zone, the alliance will deploy uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) also referred to as "drone boats" to enhance its overall situational awareness in the area. At least 20 USVs are assigned to the mission, which will be deployed alongside around 12 ships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and an unknown number of maritime patrol aircraft.
This move was made after several incidents in the past months where a Russian-affiliated vessel is suspected of damaging critical undersea cables. The first incident happened in November 2024, when a Chinese-flagged ship is suspected of damaging two communications cables connecting Finland and Sweden to Central Europe, while the other event occurred a month later in December, when another ship cut a power cable and some communications cables between Finland and Estonia.
Earlier this month, the plan to deploy sea drones was already discussed, with a NATO admiral expecting them to be deployed in June 2025. However, it seems that the alliance moved the timetable up by six months, especially given the sensitivity of the infrastructure it needed to protect.
These USVs will likely have several sensors onboard, including optical and electromagnetic, and will be combined with other data that will be shared to all stakeholders. “Those requirements will focus on delivering situational awareness, through largely passive sensors (including imagery and the electromagnetic spectrum) and generating the necessary number of platforms to cover the areas of interest,” A NATO spokesperson told The War Zone. “The initiation foresees the fleet evolving over phases, allowing for the opportunities to scale the effort, integrate new or different technologies, and broaden the operational domains.”
On the other side of the world, Taiwan is also increasing its surveillance of its undersea cable network after a Chinese-owned cargo ship was suspected of sabotaging an undersea internet cable connecting the island country to the East Coast of the United States. The Taiwanese Navy and Coast Guard will work together to monitor ships, especially those suddenly changing speeds or following erratic and unusual paths. Authorities said that the Navy will deploy ships at the Coast Guard’s request, and that it will also board suspicious vessels for inspection or seizure, if required.
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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
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das_stig Very handy as they can just hang around for weeks if not months using little power, monitoring quietly not just for ships but for subs using passive sonar.Reply -
bit_user
Comments on that article were locked, so I couldn't report this error. However, the diagram in that article clearly shows it connecting to the US West Coast.The article said:... a Chinese-owned cargo ship was suspected of sabotaging an undersea internet cable connecting the island country to the East Coast of the United States.
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das_stig
West, East, I'm just surprised TH actually managed to identify the USA and not Portugal, not known for accuracy.bit_user said:Comments on that article were locked, so I couldn't report this error. However, the diagram in that article clearly shows it connecting to the US West Coast.
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passivecool Cool, so... the drones will take a selfie with the offending ship. That should scare them off!Reply -
bit_user
Catching them in the act gives an upper hand in dealing with the offenders. So far, attribution is getting in the way of that.passivecool said:Cool, so... the drones will take a selfie with the offending ship. That should scare them off!
Direct observation provides a much better chance of interception.
It should also serve as a deterrent, hopefully.That's just how I see it. All of this is just speculation, on my part. -
TJ Hooker The War Zone article mentions the drones " the capabilities under human control” for phase 1, wonder what they can up with for a communications channel that works underwater. Maybe an acoustic link to some sort of surface vessel/buoy, which can then relay using conventional wireless comms?Reply
Requiring a surface element seems like it would lessen the system's ability to remain undetected. The article doesn't say that undetected observation is the goal, but it seems plausible, because if someone trying to secretly sabatoge the cables sees your observation equipment, you'd think they'd just go find another spot that's not being monitored. I'm guessing it isn't practical to observe the entire length of all cables of interest.