The Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) conference, widely regarded as the leading global event focused on the underwater battlespace, has opened in London, bringing together delegates from across defence, industry and government.
Opening proceedings, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Jon Pentreath described the conference as “the pre-eminent conference and exhibition dedicated to the underwater battlespace”, adding that this year’s event comes at a particularly consequential moment.
“The world continues its apparent spiral out of the post-World War Two order and into a more chaotic geopolitical situation,” he said.
Pentreath pointed to recent developments at sea as evidence of the growing importance of undersea capabilities, including threats to critical infrastructure and activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Iran war is highlighting… the criticality of the underwater space,” he said, adding that the potential mining of key maritime routes and recent submarine activity underline the risks facing global shipping and naval forces.
This year’s theme, “Advantage through undersea technology”, is built around three core areas: autonomy, application and agility.
On autonomy, Pentreath said uncrewed systems are already reshaping operations.
“We’re witnessing the critical role of autonomous and uncrewed systems in expanding operational reach and enhancing decision making.”
On application, he highlighted the need to respond rapidly to evolving threats and make better use of data.
“If used effectively, [data] will unleash the potential of autonomous systems.”
On agility, he stressed that innovation alone is not enough.
“Success hinges not only on innovation, but on how quickly and affordably these capabilities can be developed, procured and delivered at scale.”
He added that the defence sector faces a growing challenge in turning technological advances into deployable capability.
“While there is increasing interest in advanced technologies… success will depend on how we actually bring these capabilities to bear on the front line at scale.”
More than 2,500 attendees from 31 nations are expected over the three-day event, with organisers pointing to an expanded programme and increased senior-level participation.
Pentreath encouraged delegates to make full use of the event.
“The opportunity to network, have those important conversations and collaborate with new partners are better than ever before.”
The conference will feature keynote addresses, technical sessions and panel discussions focused on the future of undersea warfare, with a particular emphasis on integrating emerging technologies into operational use.
