Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Increase effectiveness and number of Royal Navy vessels for seabed operations against grey zone threats.
Conclusion
The Ministry of Defence should consider the specific benefits of both expanding the number, and increasing the effectiveness of, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Navy vessels able to undertake seabed operations to better counter grey zone threats. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34) Extending defence against grey zone threats
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and is developing the 'Atlantic Bastion' concept for protecting critical undersea infrastructure, which includes a rapid growth in autonomous underwater sensors, drones, and a new class of autonomy command platforms, alongside existing capabilities like RFA PROTEUS and mine hunting.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We agree with this recommendation. It is clear from the NSS that we face an increasingly contested and congested maritime environment, with increasing risk and vulnerability to our critical undersea infrastructure. Following the recommendations of the SDR, the Royal Navy will assume a greater role protecting critical undersea infrastructure. In response, the Royal Navy has developed the ‘Atlantic Bastion’ concept, which is outlined in the SDR. This is an ambitious plan to scale and accelerate capabilities already in service and under development with UK industry. A rapid growth in a new fleet of autonomous underwater sensors, to persistently and silently patrol the UK’s waters of interest, will take place over the next three years. They will be augmented by drones, which can be used for more localised detection and a new class of ships, optimised as a fleet of autonomy command platforms will be introduced in the coming years. These platforms will act as ‘shepherds’ to a ‘flock’ of uncrewed systems, securing the seas around the UK, while also supporting long-term growth in shipbuilding. As Atlantic Bastion is developed, the Royal Navy continues to train and operate a series of capabilities to counter seabed grey zone threats: • Royal Fleet Auxiliary PROTEUS, our multi-role ocean surveillance ship, offers a versatile platform to help protect the integrity of the UK’s maritime zones and critical undersea infrastructure. • The Mine Hunting Capability Programme is delivering a rolling programme of uncrewed surface and underwater vessels into service for use by frontline mine warfare specialists. • The maritime domain awareness programme also provides a vital contribution, increasing effectiveness of capabilities and making it harder for our adversaries to hide. We are extending this capability to identify and monitor adversary shadow fleets.