
The Subsea War
'Accidental' severing of undersea cables or pipelines seems an almost daily occurrence. But how reliant are we on this infrastructure and what steps are being taken to protect it?
The 'accidental' severing of undersea cables or pipelines seems an almost daily occurrence these days. But how reliant are we on this infrastructure, how much of it is there, and what steps are being taken to protect it? Business and Economics editor Douglas Fraser investigates who might be behind these thinly veiled acts of sabotage and what their motivation might be.
The use of merchant vessels dragging anchors through subsea internet cables is part of a campaign of hybrid warfare, acts of aggression that are carefully calibrated to have just enough deniability so as to make a military response difficult. But those perpetrating these acts want there to be no doubt though over who is behind it and Russia is the prime suspect in almost every case.
With much of the activity happening in the North and Baltic seas, Douglas travels to Norway to see how the navy there have long anticipated this risk and have partnered with the oil and gas industry to create a 'total defence' concept that extends deep beneath the waves. He'll also explore whether technology is the answer by using AI enabled sensor nets to create a burglar alarm system for the sea floor.
Presenter Douglas Fraser
Producers: Peter McManus and Emily Esson
Researcher: Juliet Conway
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Broadcasts
- Sun 9 Mar 2025 13:30成人快手 Radio 4
- Mon 10 Mar 2025 16:00成人快手 Radio 4