How Royal Navy and UK military can stop Russia from destroying undersea cables, according to defence expert

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Strengthening the armed forces and constant surveillance are the main ways to stop adversaries from damaging undersea cables.

Dr Margriet Drent said these operations and a “multi-dimensional” approach is the only way to deter grey zone activities - actions which tread a fine line between peace and war. The policy advisor at the counter hybrid unit for the Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands discussed how the UK can combat hybrid threats during a defence select committee meeting in parliament this morning (January 21).

One of the main examples of such threats is damaging British or Nato allied infrastructure. A power cable transmitting energy from Finland to Estonia was reportedly damaged on Christmas Day, with vulnerabilities to undersea cables being a cause for concern among politicians. The UK is leading an operation alongside its allies in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) to monitor the area and keep their beady eyes on the Russian shadow fleet. Royal Navy ships have consistently been used to monitor military vessels from Moscow.

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Dr Margriet Drent, policy advisor at the counter hybrid unit for the Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands, advised how the Royal Navy and other nations could stop undersea cables being damaged by adversaries.Dr Margriet Drent, policy advisor at the counter hybrid unit for the Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands, advised how the Royal Navy and other nations could stop undersea cables being damaged by adversaries.
Dr Margriet Drent, policy advisor at the counter hybrid unit for the Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands, advised how the Royal Navy and other nations could stop undersea cables being damaged by adversaries. | Parliament

Dr Drent did not specifically mention Russia, but said a “strong deterrent” and the strength of the armed forces are important to deter adversaries from escalating hybrid activities. She added: “This would make sure the threshold of armed conflict is not reached, because the deterrent is strong enough not to do that. The response of the armed forces to hybrid threats is very important, that they are on the higher spectrum of the escalation ladder.”

The policy advisor said countries are repeatedly being targeted in subsea areas such as the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. “It’s very much a target of all kinds of activity,” she added. “Projecting vigilance, how we are surveying it, and how they are going to be caught if they perpetrate there, is something that is very important. Signalling your strength and signalling that you know what’s going on, naming and shaming, is important.”

Calvin Bailey, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead and former RAF officer, asked how the UK can deal with hybrid threats while at a defence select committee meeting.Calvin Bailey, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead and former RAF officer, asked how the UK can deal with hybrid threats while at a defence select committee meeting.
Calvin Bailey, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead and former RAF officer, asked how the UK can deal with hybrid threats while at a defence select committee meeting. | Parliament

Dr Drent said Nato allies are expected to invest to make themselves resilient to acts of grey zone warfare. Calvin Bailey, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead and former RAF officer, said earlier in the meeting that the UK definition of grey zone warfare is “hostile activities intending to erode the state’s ability to function”.

Britain is investing in capabilities to counteract attacks on undersea cables. RFA Proteus, described as “cutting-edge” by armed forces minister Luke Pollard during a visit to Portsmouth, will be used as a mothership for Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROUVs). Similar prototype variants were recently tested by Royal Navy engineers in the USA, with the systems potentially being tested alongside HMS Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier Strike Group during Exercise Talisman Sabre.

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Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, questioned if the UK was doing enough to deal with hybrid threats and the possibilities of undersea cables being damaged.Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, questioned if the UK was doing enough to deal with hybrid threats and the possibilities of undersea cables being damaged.
Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, questioned if the UK was doing enough to deal with hybrid threats and the possibilities of undersea cables being damaged. | Parliament

Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, asked Dr Drent for her thoughts on how the UK is combatting hybrid threats. She said the MoD in the Netherlands often looked to Britain for inspiration. “The first encounter when I started the job five years ago was with research on what hybrid threats area and what the grey zone is, and the report was of British origin,” Dr Drent added.

“Conceptually, the UK has contributed extensively. I appreciate the support of the UK to the hybrid centre of excellence in Helsinki, which is an important international hub for advising counter-hybrid policies.”

She later added: “We’ve been working together in the Joint Expeditionary Force, and appreciate it very much that the UK has had the foresight to look at JEF as a military co-operation that could focus on countering hybrid threats and operating in the gray zone, which it has extensively done through exercises and surveying the North Sea with JEF partners. Showing that kind of leadership and being complimentary to Nato in a smaller setting of military co-operation is very much appreciated.”

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