Britain, the United States, and Australia have agreed to develop drone technology aimed at protecting the United Kingdom’s critical underwater communications cables from potential sabotage, particularly from Russia. The initiative is part of the allies’ broader AUKUS defence partnership, announced by British Defence Secretary John Healey.

Subsea communications cables serve as the foundation of the UK’s internet and economy, underpinning around £1.4 trillion in daily transactions, alongside supporting calls, instant messaging, and social media. Growing concerns over their vulnerability have prompted calls for enhanced security measures. A parliamentary committee warned late last year that the UK must prepare for the possibility of threats to these cables during security crises. Lawmakers expressed apprehension that Russian actions could target this “soft underbelly” of NATO.

Tensions escalated in April when Defence Secretary Healey disclosed that Royal Navy vessels and Royal Air Force anti-submarine patrol aircraft tracked Russian submarines near the North Atlantic. Among the monitored vessels were a Russian Akula-class nuclear submarine and two deep-sea research submarines, which were observed for over a month before departing the area.

Under the AUKUS agreement, the three nations will accelerate the development and deployment of advanced sensors and weapons systems for undersea drones, designed to detect, deter, and neutralize threats to undersea infrastructure, including communications cables and pipelines. Healey described the effort as delivering “the very most advanced battlefield technology” to allied forces.

While AUKUS has primarily focused on providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and establishing infrastructure to support US and UK naval operations in the Indo-Pacific region, Healey confirmed that the partnership’s technological advancements will also be applied to maritime security in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions.

In a related development, the three allies announced a modification to Australia’s submarine acquisition plan as part of the 2021 AUKUS deal. Instead of receiving a mix of new and used Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US Navy, Australia will now be supplied exclusively with pre-existing in-service vessels. Australia is scheduled to acquire at least three of these submarines within 15 years.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles described the change as a measure to “streamline” the programme and reduce costs, emphasizing the financial scale of the project and the need to pursue cost-effective options going forward.