UK, US and Australia announce underwater drone plan to protect subsea cables

Defence ministers from the UK, the US and Australia have announced a joint plan to develop and deploy underwater drone technology aimed at protecting critical subsea cables and pipelines. The announcement was made at a security conference in Singapore and forms part of the AUKUS defence partnership. The technology is expected to be ready by 2027, according to the statement.

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UK defence secretary John Healey said the move represented "modern defence" and said the new capabilities would help keep Britain safe while supporting British businesses. The three countries said the work would focus on maritime security and on defending infrastructure that carries gas, electricity and internet traffic. The announcement adds to a wider effort by the allies to deepen cooperation on defence-related technology and information sharing.

The issue has become more prominent as subsea infrastructure has faced growing concern over possible damage and interference. The supporting material says cables and pipelines linking the UK and Europe are vital for energy supply and communications, and that damage could disrupt both global communications and energy transmission. It also says such links have increasingly been under threat from vessels dragging anchors over the seabed, with Russian and Chinese boats suspected in some cases.

The new partnership sits within AUKUS, the trilateral security arrangement launched in 2021 by the UK, the US and Australia. The alliance was created to support deeper integration in defence science and technology, as well as greater information sharing. The latest announcement suggests the partners are now extending that cooperation into underwater systems designed to monitor and protect strategic infrastructure.

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The move also follows earlier British plans to strengthen protection of undersea assets. In 2025, the UK announced the Atlantic Bastion programme, described as a system of autonomous vessels and artificial intelligence working with warships and aircraft to protect undersea cables and pipelines. The Ministry of Defence said at the time that the programme was a direct response to a resurgence in Russian submarine and underwater activity.

What remains unclear is how the new underwater drone capability will be deployed in practice, and what role each partner will take in the programme. The announcement did not give a cost estimate or detail where the systems will be based. The key point to watch is whether the partners can meet the 2027 readiness target and whether the plan leads to further measures to secure subsea infrastructure.

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