London, 8 December 2025 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said the United Kingdom and its allies are ready to "track and deter" Russian submarines as he revealed plans for a new multi-million pound hi-tech force to protect undersea cables and pipelines.

The hybrid naval force, named Atlantic Bastion, will combine autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI) with warships and aircraft to identify threats to underwater structure and to defend them from interference.

Subsea infrastructure is the lifeblood of the UK's connectivity, carrying 99% of international telecommunications data and vital energy supplies such as electricity, oil and gas.

The move comes after cables in the Baltic Sea have been reported to have been damaged recently, and UK defence intelligence has identified that Russia is modernizing its fleet to target undersea cables and pipelines.

Speaking during a visit to Portsmouth Naval Base, Healey told the Press Association: "We know what Putin is doing. We know what Putin is developing."

"And we've seen in recent weeks, for example, their spy ship, Yantar, in and out of UK waters, and we're able to find them, whether they are on the surface or underwater."

"We're able to find them, track them and, if necessary, we are ready with allies to act to deter them."

Atlantic Bastion will involve the development and testing of state-of-the-art anti-submarine sensor technology.

Healey added: "People should be in no doubt of the new threats facing the UK and our allies under the sea, where adversaries are targeting infrastructure that is so critical to our way of life."

"This new era of threat demands a new era for defence and we must rapidly innovate at a wartime pace to maintain the battlefield edge as we deliver on the strategic defence review."

"Our pioneering Atlantic Bastion programme is a blueprint for the future of the Royal Navy."

"It combines the latest autonomous and AI technologies with world-class warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid fighting force to detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us."

The project has been launched with £14 million in early investment from the Ministry of Defence and industry for testing and development, with 26 firms from the UK and Europe having submitted proposals.

Photo: UK Ministry of Defence