Nations and firms boost spending on undersea warfare tech

September 19, 2026 at 10:21 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Governments and companies are increasing investment in underwater warfare technologies amid concerns over the vulnerability of seabed infrastructure. The shift follows the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and damage to subsea cables near Taiwan and the Arctic. More than 1.5 million kilometers of submarine communications cables are in service globally as of early 2026.

Key Facts

More than 1.5 million kilometers of submarine communications cables are in service globally as of early 2026, according to TeleGeography.
In September 2022, explosions ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea, and investigators determined the pipelines had been deliberately sabotaged.
Katja Bego, senior research fellow at Chatham House, described the maritime environment as "the next logical domain" for warfare.
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, drones, and autonomous technology are enabling new approaches to underwater surveillance.

Seabed Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

Companies and governments are increasingly focusing on the ocean floor as a domain of future warfare, driven by concerns over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure such as connectivity cables and energy pipelines. The September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions beneath the Baltic Sea, which investigators determined were deliberate sabotage, focused governments' attention on vulnerabilities that received little attention after the Cold War. Damage to subsea infrastructure near Taiwan and in the Arctic has further heightened concerns. More than 1.5 million kilometers of submarine communications cables are in service globally as of early 2026, according to TeleGeography.

Technological Shift and Investment

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, drones, and autonomous technology are making new approaches to underwater surveillance possible, according to Katja Bego of Chatham House. From autonomous underwater vehicles to sensors attached to subsea cables, governments and military alliances are exploring ways to better monitor the infrastructure that underpins the global economy. Defense companies are positioning themselves for the shift toward undersea warfare technologies. The widespread deployment of aerial drones during the war between Ukraine and Russia has shown how autonomous systems operated from afar can change the nature of warfare.