According to a press release by the British Ministry of Defense, Defence Secretary John Healey visited HM Naval Base Portsmouth to unveil early work on the Atlantic Bastion program, with millions of pounds invested this year in development and testing of innovative anti-submarine sensor technology. The launch of Atlantic Bastion comes as First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins is expected to set out his vision for the future of the Royal Navy at the International Sea Power Conference in London today.
People should be in no doubt of the new threats facing the UK and our allies under the sea, where adversaries are targeting infrastructure that is so critical to our way of life.
This new era of threat demands a new era for defence, and we must rapidly innovate at a wartime pace to maintain the battlefield edge as we deliver on the Strategic Defence Review.
Our pioneering Atlantic Bastion programme is a blueprint for the future of the Royal Navy. It combines the latest autonomous and AI technologies with world-class warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid fighting force to detect, deter and defeat those who threaten us.
Speaking at the International Sea Power Conference today, General Sir Gwyn will hail the launch of Atlantic Bastion as a pioneering new era of maritime warfare that blends the skill and expertise of highly trained crews with autonomous platforms and artificial intelligence.
General Sir Gwyn will say the program continues the proud tradition of British maritime innovation, positioning Britain as the global leader in autonomous naval warfare whilst building on the UK’s world-leading anti-submarine warfare heritage.
We are a Navy that thrives when it is allowed to adapt. To evolve. We have never stood still - because the threats never do.
The SDR identified the maritime domain as increasingly vulnerable – and that maritime security is a strategic imperative for the UK. It is time to act.
This begins with Atlantic Bastion - our bold new approach to secure the underwater battlespace against a modernising Russia. Our commitment to Alliance. And it is happening now.
A revolutionary underwater network is taking shape - from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Norwegian Sea. More autonomous, more resilient, more lethal – and British built.
We’ve already made rapid and significant progress with delivering Atlantic Bastion. A force that keeps us secure at home and strong abroad.
Atlantic Bastion will see ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned vessels connected through AI-powered acoustic detection technology and integrated into a digital targeting web – a pioneering network of weapons systems that allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster.
The program represents a truly integrated, multi-domain approach, combining Royal Navy and Royal Air Force assets, Strategic Command digital infrastructure and commercial partners to create a networked system spanning air surface, underwater.
Source: UK Government of Defense
