The U.K. will invest $120 million on a network of drones, sensors and AI systems for the Royal Navy to counter Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, the Ministry of Defense announced, US Naval Institute News reports.
Dubbed “Atlantic Net,” the network is meant to enable the Royal Navy to better protect undersea cables and energy networks from Russian threats.
“The UK will be more secure from Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic following a new £90 million investment in new drones, sensors and AI systems for the Royal Navy,” reads the MOD news release.
U.K. company Ocean Infinity Solutions was selected to provide Atlantic Net, which will see the company and the Royal Navy bring together maritime systems, underwater sensing, communications, remote operations and data services into a single capability directed by the sea service.
Atlantic Net is the first phase of the first phase of the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion program, the service’s plan to create a hybrid naval force to hunt and track enemy submarines and protect the vast network of critical underwater infrastructure that connects and powers the U.K.and its allies.
“Working alongside NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, it will strengthen protection against interference, sabotage and hostile activity, with Atlantic Net increasing the scale, persistence and resilience of underwater surveillance,” reads the release.
As part of the investment, the Royal Navy will be equipped with a new network of autonomous systems operating across the North Atlantic. The new systems include advanced sensors that will help detect Russian submarines and illegal activities and uncrewed systems that will be able to patrol underwater to hunt threats.
The goal is for Atlantic Net to create a single surveillance service that will provide the Royal Navy’s submarine-hunting warships and Astute-class attack submarines with earlier warning of threats and a clearer picture of activity beneath the surface. The ministry did not disclose an expected date of entry into service.
“The threats beneath the North Atlantic are changing, and we are changing with them. This investment gives the Royal Navy new technology to find threats earlier and protect our critical infrastructure, while also backing British business,” Luke Pollard, U.K. Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry, said in the release.
In a company release, Ocean Infinity announced it was selected as the Commercial Mission Partner for Atlantic Net. For more than a decade, the company has pioneered the use of robotics at sea, using technology and operational expertise to fundamentally change how complex maritime operations are delivered and will now bring that approach to anti-submarine warfare through Atlantic Net, reads the company release.
“The Royal Navy has been exploring how to move beyond traditional, heavily crewed fleets towards a broader mix of robotic and lean-crewed platforms. Atlantic Net is that idea coming to life. It is a significant step forward in how naval capability can be delivered, using uncrewed and autonomous systems at a scale that has not been seen before,” said Joe Robinson, president of Solutions at Ocean Infinity.
Atlantic Net represents a major shift in how persistent underwater surveillance can be delivered, moving towards a model built around autonomous, uncrewed and lean-crewed systems, advanced sensors, AI and data. Ocean Infinity’s role will focus on making that new model work in sustained operations, reads the company release. Working with specialist partners, the company will bring together the technology, data and maritime expertise needed to deliver a persistent operational capability in the North Atlantic over the long term.
Ocean Infinity is a maritime technology company which provides marine data services and technological solutions in the maritime energy, telecommunications, government, science and defence and security sectors. The company’s sea assets include a 14-ship fleet of Armada-class ships, which are minimally crewed specialized ships tailored with specific suites of equipment, including advanced underwater robotic systems for offshore data collections. The company has successfully carried out searches for sunken underwater vessels including Argentine Navy submarine ARA San Juan (S-42) in the South Atlantic in 2018, battleship USS Nevada (BB-36) off Hawaii in 2020 and destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224) off California in 2024. Less successful were two searches, one in 2018 and this year in the Indian Ocean for missing Malaysian airliner MH370.
On Monday, NATO kicked off Dynamic Merlin 26, an anti-submarine warfare exercise, in the Baltic Sea waters off the coast of Sweden.
“Exercise Dynamic Merlin 26 marks an important milestone in the evolution of NATO’s anti-submarine warfare training in the Baltic Sea. Having been conducted twice before as Playbook Merlin, the exercise is now formally incorporated into Allied Maritime Command’s established Dynamic series of exercises, alongside Dynamic Manta and Dynamic Mongoose. This progression reflects both the success of the previous iterations and the growing importance of strengthening our anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the Baltic Sea. It demonstrates NATO’s commitment to building on lessons learned, adapting to emerging threats and ensuring our Allied forces remain ready to operate together in one of Europe’s most strategically important maritime regions,” U.S. Rear Adm. John Craddock, Commander Submarines NATO, said in a NATO news release.
The exercise will see participating ships tested against submarine, anti-ship missile and drone threats.
Two submarines – one from Germany and one from Sweden – are taking part in the exercise alongside ships from NATO task group Standing Maritime Naval Group 1 (SNMG1), namely Royal Netherlands Navy fleet oiler and flagship HNLMS Den Helder (A834), German Navy fleet oiler FGS Berlin (A1411), Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH332), Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Esbern Snare (F342) and Finnish Navy fast attack craft FNS Hamina (80).
Along with the submarine, participating Swedish Navy vessels include corvettes HSwMS Helsingborg(K32) and HSwMS Gävle (K22). Maritime patrol aircraft from France, Germany, Sweden and the U.K. are also taking part.
Dynamic Merlin 2026 brings together new tactics, emerging technologies and operational lessons, including training to counter hybrid threats, ensuring NATO forces remain at the forefront of undersea warfare, according to the news release.
“As the security environment in the Baltic Sea continues to evolve, NATO’s maritime forces are training together, adapting to emerging threats and strengthening their ability to operate as one. Above the waves, on the surface and deep beneath the sea, Allied forces remain vigilant, united and ready to protect the Alliance and its vital maritime interests,” reads the release.
