10-06-2025
The underwater bomb robot fighting Putin's saboteurs: British defence experts develop sub to blast Russian targets threatening undersea cables and energy pipelines
A new underwater robot has been created by British defence experts to help protect undersea cables and energy pipelines against Russian sabotage attempts.
Video footage shows the device, which is adapted from a commercially available remotely operated vehicle (ROV), approaching and blasting a simulated target.
The robot will help deal with sabotage threats and clear unexploded ordnance, doing jobs that would normally put both divers and their vessels at risk.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the Ministry of Defence, has made the device with industry partners in an aim to save lives at sea.
Experts have incorporated or developed systems so the ROV can detect unexploded ordnance and remotely place explosive charges to enable safe neutralisation.
Trials for the project funded by the Royal Navy have already taken place at Horsea Island in Portsmouth, Portland Harbour in Dorset, South Wales and in Norway.
Experts have incorporated or developed systems so the ROV can detect unexploded ordnance
The robot can operate at depths greater than divers can reach and work there safely for much longer - scanning the seabed for hazards and dealing with any.
It can be launched from a ship or a shoreline and is operated remotely, feeding video and sonar images back to the operators who can remotely deal with hazards.
DSTL explosives engineer John said: 'This technology would be a valuable toolset for keeping our Armed Forces safe whilst providing the public with value for money.
'This unique capability with its sensors, tools and cameras will give operators a real time ability to deal with these underwater hazards in a safe, effective and efficient way.'
The device – built in partnership with Alford Technologies, Atlantas Marine, Sonardyne and ECS Special Projects – is not normally destroyed and can therefore be used multiple times.
The underwater robot can be launched from a ship or a shoreline and is operated remotely
It comes after Britain's Strategic Defence Review warned last week that 95 per cent of the UK's data is carried by undersea cables that are vulnerable to attack.
It stated: 'Undersea pipelines and data cables are critical for sustaining daily national life. The maritime domain is increasingly vulnerable.
'The Royal Navy must be prepared to deter maritime incidents similar to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the cutting of undersea data cables in UK and international waters.'
Last month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Norway and Iceland to look at measures being taken to counter Russia's actions in Arctic, including the threats Vladimir Putin's vessels pose to important cables and infrastructure on the seabed.
