The seas are about to get a lot more crowded. Tech firms are racing to dominate the underwater battlefield with submarine drones, which promise to revolutionize the way navies track and defend against enemy subs.
As land battles have been forever changed by the use of flying drones in the Ukraine war, it seems the same technology is now transforming the world's oceans. The UK's Royal Navy is set to launch a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (UUVs), while Australia has committed billions of dollars to developing its own "Ghost Shark" submarines.
The benefits are clear: UUVs offer a cheaper and more efficient alternative to traditional manned submarines, allowing navies to scale up their operations without breaking the bank. "A genuine step-change in the underwater battle space," says Scott Jamieson of BAE Systems, the company behind Britain's nuclear submarines.
But with great power comes great risk. As the threat from Russia increases, so too does the need for advanced tracking and detection systems. And it seems that tech startups like Anduril - the maker of the Ghost Shark - and Germany's Helsing are ready to take on the big players.
The stakes are high: a single underwater cable can bring down entire economies, while a sabotage attack on these cables could have devastating consequences for countries around the world. The UK government has accused Russia of entering British waters to map undersea cables, sparking fears that these drones could be used against each other in a "grey zone" conflict.
Despite the risks, industry experts believe the benefits of UUVs are too great to ignore. "Mass and persistence now" is the mantra from Thales UK, which hopes to supply its own range of underwater systems to the Royal Navy's new project, Cabot. But with the Russians already testing these drones, it remains to be seen whether they can deliver on their promise.
As the battle for undersea dominance heats up, one thing is clear: the seas are about to get a lot more interesting - and a lot more crowded.
As land battles have been forever changed by the use of flying drones in the Ukraine war, it seems the same technology is now transforming the world's oceans. The UK's Royal Navy is set to launch a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (UUVs), while Australia has committed billions of dollars to developing its own "Ghost Shark" submarines.
The benefits are clear: UUVs offer a cheaper and more efficient alternative to traditional manned submarines, allowing navies to scale up their operations without breaking the bank. "A genuine step-change in the underwater battle space," says Scott Jamieson of BAE Systems, the company behind Britain's nuclear submarines.
But with great power comes great risk. As the threat from Russia increases, so too does the need for advanced tracking and detection systems. And it seems that tech startups like Anduril - the maker of the Ghost Shark - and Germany's Helsing are ready to take on the big players.
The stakes are high: a single underwater cable can bring down entire economies, while a sabotage attack on these cables could have devastating consequences for countries around the world. The UK government has accused Russia of entering British waters to map undersea cables, sparking fears that these drones could be used against each other in a "grey zone" conflict.
Despite the risks, industry experts believe the benefits of UUVs are too great to ignore. "Mass and persistence now" is the mantra from Thales UK, which hopes to supply its own range of underwater systems to the Royal Navy's new project, Cabot. But with the Russians already testing these drones, it remains to be seen whether they can deliver on their promise.
As the battle for undersea dominance heats up, one thing is clear: the seas are about to get a lot more interesting - and a lot more crowded.
just hope those underwater drones don't end up being used for something crazy like pirate hacking or deep sea treasure hunting lol what's next gonna be underwater casinos 
I'm so stoked about this underwater drone tech! It's like, totally changing the game for navies and cybersecurity. I mean, can you imagine having these autonomous subs patrolling the seas 24/7? 
The possibilities are endless - from tracking down enemy subs to detecting sabotage attacks on critical infrastructure. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie! 
Anduril and Helsing are killing it in this space, and I love how they're pushing the boundaries of what's possible with UUVs. 
But, at the same time, I'm all about that risk management - we need to make sure these drones are secure and reliable before they can be deployed on a large scale. 
Still, I think the benefits far outweigh the risks... and trust me, this tech is going to change everything! 
. I mean, think bout it, no need 2 pay billions 4 a manned sub, just some cheap UUVs 
. And think bout all th new tech startups comin outta th woodwork 
. But at th same time, u gotta be worried 'bout Russia tryna mess w/ our undersea cables 
. It's like, a whole nother level of conflict now 
.
or worse, getting hacked? 
but seriously, its good 2 see navies innovating & not just relying on old-school subs. The threat from Russia is real tho... cant have ppl playin with undersea cables like they r playdolls 