UK ‘lacks plan’ to defend subsea cable repair ships in a military conflict

ukiw-UK-unprepared-to-protect-subsea-cables-in-war

Source: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

A parliamentary inquiry on undersea cables security has heard that the UK does not have sufficient capabilities in place to protect specialist repair ships if infrastructure is attacked and the seas become a war zone.

This article includes:

  • Organisations: Alcatel Submarine Networks; Atlantic Cable Maintenance & Repair Agreement; European Subsea Cables Association; Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy; Joint Expeditionary Force; Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure; NATO; Royal Navy.
  • Geographic: Europe; Red Sea; UK.
  • People: Alasdair Wilkie; John Wrottesley; Mick McGovern.
  • Themes: Cable repair; Critical infrastructure; Defence; Government; Industry cooperation; Maintenance service provider; National resilience; National security; Parliamentary inquiry; Subsea infrastructure.
  • Events: Parliamentary inquiry on undersea cables security; Red Sea cable disruption.

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