NATO defense leaders launch initiative to enhance maritime surveillance capabilities

Europe, News October 14, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

NATO Defense Ministers launched the Digital Ocean initiative during their two-day meeting in Brussels. The project aims to enhance the alliance’s maritime situational awareness from seabed to space.

The Digital Ocean initiative project involves various assets including satellites and autonomous systems above, on, and under the sea. The initiative is aimed at enhancing maritime situational awareness for the security of critical undersea infrastructure.

According to the NATO statement, “The Digital Ocean initiative will transform Allied maritime domain awareness by enhancing coordination between national and Allied capabilities employed for maritime surveillance.”

Earlier this week NATO defense ministers met to discuss ways to strengthen deterrence and defense of the Alliance as well as NATO operations and missions in different regions.

“NATO is already stepping up to better address maritime threats. At the Vilnius Summit, NATO leaders agreed to establish NATO’s Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure within NATO’s Maritime Command (MARCOM) in the United Kingdom, to increase our situational awareness and enhance deterrence and defense in the maritime domain,” the NATO statement highlighted.

NATO personnel are testing the systems in preparation for REPMUS 22 Exercise. (Image Credit: LSTS) — *^{NATO personnel are testing the systems in preparation for the REPMUS 22 Exercise. (Image Credit: LSTS)}*

Last month, about 1,500 military and civilian personnel from NATO and partner states conducted REPMUS 22 exercise in Portugal. The NATO Allies integrated about 120 unmanned assets into a single network for a range of experimentation scenarios, From September 23 to 30, the Allies conducted an exercise to integrate NATO’s maritime unmanned systems into maritime operations.

In early 2023, NATO allies also created a Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to enhance “information sharing and exchange” practices between NATO member countries, partner states, and the private sector.

As a next step, NATO Allies plan to “develop a roadmap to guide the future development of maritime capabilities in line with other efforts across the Alliance, including NATO’s Digital Transformation and the Defence Production Action Plan,” the statement added.