Atlantic Net, the Royal Navy’s new drone and sensor network for hunting submarines in the North Atlantic, will be operational within months and will benefit NATO and JEF allies, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord, has said, according to the Royal Navy.
Speaking on board HMS Prince of Wales at the International Sea Power Conference in Oslo, Jenkins said: “As the Minister announced this morning, phase one of Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Net, will become operational within months.
“Working with Ocean Infinity, it will help us detect hostile underwater activity earlier and strengthen our protection of critical infrastructure.
“And the advantage we gain from it extends beyond the Royal Navy, to our NATO and JEF allies, who will also benefit from a much clearer picture of what is happening under the surface.”
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, announced earlier in the day a framework with Hampshire-based Ocean Infinity Solutions that opens the way to an initial £90 million investment, and said on stage that it would allow Atlantic Net to become operational from next year. He said the system would go from concept to service in two years, around half the usual time, with most of its platforms and systems supplied by British small and medium-sized firms.
The Ministry of Defence set out its intent to tender last October, and Pollard said in January that 26 compliant proposals had been assessed. Later phases of Atlantic Bastion would add Navy-owned Type 92 uncrewed surface vessels and Type 93 uncrewed underwater vehicles.
