Key facts
- Britain said the £90 million ($121 million) would fund drones, sensors and artificial intelligence systems for the Royal Navy.
- Britain said a new network of autonomous systems with advanced sensors would create a unified surveillance capability.
- Britain said the capability would improve detection and monitoring of submarine activity in the North Atlantic.
- Western officials have warned that Russia has increased activity around subsea infrastructure, according to the report.
- Russia has denied allegations about its submarine activity around British waters.
- Undersea cables carry most global internet traffic and support financial transactions, according to the report.
Britain said on November 10, 2026 that it would spend £90 million ($121 million) on drones, sensors and artificial intelligence systems to help the Royal Navy counter Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic and protect critical infrastructure.
Britain said a new network of autonomous systems equipped with advanced sensors would create a unified surveillance capability to improve the detection and monitoring of submarine activity.
Western officials have warned that Russia has increased activity around subsea infrastructure, according to the report. In April, Britain said it had deployed military vessels to deter Russian submarines that it said had spent more than a month in and around British waters, and warned Moscow that any attempt to damage cables or pipelines would have serious consequences. Russia has denied the allegations.
NATO allies have strengthened surveillance of cables and pipelines in recent years. Undersea cables carry most global internet traffic and support financial transactions, according to the report.