Russia produces special weapons to damage Western submarine pipelines and cables

2023-07-15 18:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Western navies must now adapt to a new type of risk. As Voice of America correspondent Henry Ridgwell reports, several rival countries, primarily Russia, are developing new military capabilities to strike vital deep-sea infrastructure, such as gas pipelines and submarine cables.

Large quantities of natural gas were released into the Baltic Sea when the Nord Stream pipeline, which connects Russia to Germany, ruptured in September.

Underwater footage showed that at least 50 meters of the pipeline had been damaged and large pieces of it were spotted on the seabed. Swedish investigators found traces of explosives and the West suspects that this may have been an act of sabotage by Russia. Just a few days after the incident, Britain announced that it would increase its underwater defense capabilities.

"Russia does not hide the capabilities it has to attack this infrastructure. So, for that reason, I can announce that we have newly engaged two specialist vessels that can keep our cables and pipelines safe," said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

The first of these ships is being equipped by the British Navy, which says it will have the role of a "mothership" that will remotely control autonomous systems to monitor and fight on the seabed.

Millions of kilometers of undersea cables and pipelines carry the fuel that keeps the global economy moving.

"Some of the West's rivals, Russia in particular, are developing special capabilities to attack precisely these weak points, with means such as purpose-built submarines," says Sidharth Kaushal, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute . .

Russia denies having sabotaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline. But observers say the Kremlin increasingly sees Western underwater infrastructure as a weak spot. In late December, Russia inaugurated four new warships, including two nuclear-powered submarines.

"They have very precise weapons and robotic systems," Russian President Putin said.

Faced with this risk, NATO and the European Union last month created a joint task force for the protection of vital infrastructure. The Secretary General of NATO informed in October about the state of military preparedness of the alliance, after the explosions in the gas pipeline 'Nord Stream'.

"Deliberate attacks on the vital infrastructure of allies will be met with a united and determined response. Hybrid and cyber attacks can trigger Article 5 (for collective defense) and can constitute an armed attack against a NATO country," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

The West needs to clarify the rules for engaging in combat, says analyst Kaushal.

"What do you do when you notice e.g. that a submarine is damaging vital national infrastructure, but not in a way that causes immediate loss of life? So, in reality, the issue is rather how organizational practices can be changed to deal with an activity of this type", says Mr. Kaushal.

Analysts say naval forces must quickly adapt to protect vital infrastructure under the sea, while adversaries are developing new offensive capabilities for hybrid warfare./ VOA