en.Wedoany.com Reported - British Defence Secretary John Healey announced a joint investment of £150 million with the United States and Australia to develop sensors and weapon systems for underwater drones, enhancing capabilities to detect, deter, and respond to threats against critical infrastructure such as undersea cables and pipelines. According to a joint statement, the project will enable partners to jointly protect key national seabed infrastructure, deploy cutting-edge surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities, conduct logistics operations, and strengthen advantages in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral maneuvers.

A vast amount of global data and communications are transmitted via undersea cables, which are vital to the daily lives of the United States and its allies. Approximately 99% of Australia's internet traffic is carried by just 15 submarine cables. Recent severing of several cables in the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait has raised concerns about the vulnerability of seabed infrastructure. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles noted that whether accidental or deliberate, these incidents highlight the fragility of critical global infrastructure. He further stated that if these were intentional acts, the countries involved might be testing response times, attribution thresholds, and political willingness to react.

This project is the first landmark initiative announced under the AUKUS "Pillar II" cooperation, with deliveries set to begin in 2027. It focuses on developing advanced technologies for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and their interoperability with AUKUS partners. Under the AUKUS agreement, "Pillar I" focuses on Australia acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, while "Pillar II" pools the defense resources of the three nations to develop advanced military capabilities in support of global security. Healey announced the project alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Marles.

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