Global navies and defence tech companies are accelerating a new arms race under the sea, pouring money into autonomous submarine drones designed to track enemy submarines and protect critical undersea infrastructure such as internet cables and energy pipelines.
What exactly happened
In recent months, a wave of projects and contracts has emerged around uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs). The UK’s Royal Navy is pushing ahead with its “Project Cabot” concept for autonomous undersea patrols, while the US and Australia are funding similar programmes focused on long-range, AI-assisted underwater drones.
Major defence contractors like BAE Systems, Boeing and General Dynamics are now competing directly with aggressive Silicon Valley-style startups such as Anduril and Helsing, which claim they can deliver cheaper, more flexible systems on software-driven timelines rather than traditional defence cycles.
Officials describe the shift as a “step change” comparable to how flying drones reshaped warfare in Ukraine — only this time the transformation is happening below the surface.
Services affected
The technology targets several critical military and infrastructure functions:
- Tracking and shadowing of enemy submarines in contested waters
- Protection of undersea internet cables and power lines from sabotage
- Persistent surveillance around key chokepoints and naval bases
- Cheaper alternatives to manned submarines for routine patrol missions
Some systems are designed to operate for weeks or months at a time without surfacing, using passive sensors to avoid giving away their position.
Why this matters
Undersea cables carry the majority of global internet and financial traffic, while gas pipelines and power interconnectors are increasingly targeted in geopolitical tensions. Recent suspected sabotage incidents in European waters have shown just how vulnerable this hidden infrastructure can be.
Autonomous underwater drones give navies a way to monitor huge ocean areas at lower cost than traditional submarines. But they also raise the stakes: the same technology can be used offensively to cut cables, damage pipelines or stalk enemy submarines, potentially without clear attribution.
The race between established defence primes and fast-moving startups could also reshape how military tech is developed — with more rapid iteration, more software-defined capabilities and a blurring of lines between commercial robotics and classified defence projects.
What users should do now
For everyday users, nothing changes directly — these systems operate far from consumer devices. However, anyone working in sectors dependent on subsea infrastructure (telecoms, cloud services, energy companies and financial networks) should keep a close eye on how countries plan to secure cables and pipelines over the next decade.
Investors and tech professionals should also note the growing overlap between traditional defence contractors and AI-driven robotics startups. Skills in autonomy, sensor fusion and underwater robotics are likely to become more valuable as this market matures.
External sources
The Guardian — Tech firms battle for undersea dominance with submarine drones
NATO — Maritime security and undersea infrastructure
UK MOD — Defence autonomous systems strategy
The underwater drone race is likely to define how navies protect (or threaten) the world’s most important hidden infrastructure in the 2030s.
