Government urged to outline plans for new surveillance ship

A new report urges the government to outline its plans and timeline for the Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship.

The UK Government has been urged to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the protection of offshore infrastructure by the Scottish Affairs Committee in its new report, ‘Defence in Scotland: The North Atlantic and the High North’.

This comes in light of increasing concerns about the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure situated offshore or beneath the sea to interference.

The committee referred to incidents such as the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline as evidence of the vulnerability of such infrastructure, specifically pointing to the North Atlantic’s transatlantic cables and the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone. These areas are highlighted as potential targets for malign actors due to the integral role they play in communication lines and economic activities.

Despite welcome investment in subsea surveillance, such as the Multi-Role Ocean Support Ships, the report pointed out that significant vulnerabilities remain. The committee voiced concerns that the legal regime governing subsea cables appears to be weak, making these crucial infrastructures an attractive target for malign actors.

Further, the UK Government’s position that repair of subsea cables should be the responsibility of the cables’ commercial owners has drawn criticism from the committee. The report expressed unease that the government did not elaborate on how critical infrastructure could be repaired in the event of sabotage or failure.

In response to these concerns, the committee has recommended that the UK Government develop and publish a strategy for protecting offshore infrastructure. This strategy should detail how potential interference by malign actors could be deterred or prevented and how damaged infrastructure could be quickly repaired by their commercial owners.

The committee also urged the UK Government to provide a timeline for the refitted Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship, RFA Proteus, and the future purpose-built Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship to enter service. The government was also asked to confirm whether the intention, as stated in the 2021 Integrated Review, for the purpose-built MROSS to be built in Scotland, still holds.

“Events like the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline have shown that Critical National Infrastructure that is based offshore or beneath the sea can be vulnerable to interference. This is a concern in the North Atlantic, where transatlantic cables are critical lines of communication, as well as in the UK’s own Exclusive Economic Zone. Investment in subsea surveillance like the Multi-Role Ocean Support Ships is welcome, but vulnerabilities remain. We heard that weaknesses in the legal regime governing subsea cables makes them a tempting target for malign actors. The UK Government told us that repair of subsea cables was a matter for the cables’ commercial owners; we are concerned that the UK Government did not have more to say about how such important infrastructure could be repaired in the event of sabotage or failure.

The UK Government should produce and publish a strategy for protecting offshore infrastructure. This should include a plan for how attempts by malign actors to interfere with Critical National Infrastructure can be deterred or prevented, and how damaged infrastructure can be repaired quickly by their commercial owners. The UK Government should set out the timeline for the refitted Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship, RFA Proteus, and the future purpose-built Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship to come into service. It should state whether it is still the intention, as set out in the 2021 Integrated Review, for the purpose-built MROSS to be built in Scotland.”

Commenting on the report, Pete Wishart MP, Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said:

“The North Atlantic and the High North are becoming increasingly important to the defence interests of both the UK and NATO, and Scotland’s role in the defence arrangements is considered to be fundamental. During our inquiry we heard widespread agreement that the Arctic is of growing strategic importance and maintaining a well maintained and resourced military capability is essential to meet The UK’s defence interests. Because of its geography Scotland is home to a number of the UK’s strategic military assets and in our report we call on the UK Government to look at how the defence presence in Scotland could be scaled up if required to meet future threats if required. We are also calling for a review of the UK’s cold weather capabilities.

We also looked at the opportunities and threats that may emerge because of climate change in the Arctic and the High North. Emerging trade routes and the responsibility of protecting offshore and subsea infrastructure are likely to become emerging priorities in a fast changing environment. As a Committee, we’ve conducted a series of work on Defence in Scotland, and it’s clear to all the considerable contribution Scotland makes to the UK and NATO’s defence and security. This is a topic we will be keeping a close eye on. We wish to extend our gratitude to all those who work to defend us and keep us safe.”

Read the full report here