Global Underwater Hub calls for armed forces to work with UK subsea supply chain

The UK subsea supply chain must be a “primary partner of innovation” for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), according to Global Underwater Hub (GUH).

Following the UK government’s spending review, which reinforced defence as one of the UK’s “eight priority sectors”, GUH boss Neil Gordon has called for the government to engage with the private sector and utilise the expertise it has built up in the North Sea.

“Instead of viewing the commercial underwater sector as a supplier of last resort, the MoD must view it as a primary partner of innovation,” said Gordon.

© Supplied by GUH

This month, the UK published a strategic defence review (SDR) which detailed a “growing underwater threat from a modernising Russian submarine force”.

Gordon explained that the underwater threats facing the country are “existential”.

“A single successful attack on a key undersea cable or offshore energy pipeline could have cascading effects on our economy, energy security and society,” he said.

Gordon argued that there is a “disconnect” between those making decisions on the technologies the UK uses to defend its assets and those with the engineering knowhow, which he claimed, “is putting the country at risk”.

The issue of potential Russian attacks on UK energy infrastructure has been long-running. In 2023, the Russian-flagged ‘Nikolay Chiker’ vessel was sighted near Shell’s Brent field and the CNR International-operated Ninian platform off the east coast of Shetland.

This issue was raised in parliament by Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael when he claimed: “It’s a merchant vessel [the Nikolay Chiker], but we know that the Russian military often repurpose merchant vessels in this way.”

© Jacob King/PA Wire

Defence was also given a prominent spot in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday, as she aimed to “making the UK a defence industrial superpower by 2035”.

The UK’s latest spending review allocated £73.5 billion in funding for the MoD in 2028-29, under departmental expenditure limits.

The government document claimed this was a “real terms growth rate of 3.6% over SR25”.

The move will result in total NATO-qualifying defence spending being set “on a clear path to reach 2.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027,” the treasury claimed.

The supply chain has the technology the MoD is looking for

© Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The GUH boss said that his organisation has “already identified commercially available technologies with the potential to be adapted for defence,” removing the need for costly research and development cycles.

“In many cases, these solutions are already in deployment for offshore energy, subsea inspection, environmental monitoring and autonomous operations,” Gordon continued.

“GUH members are operating at the cutting edge of what is technically feasible – but without a significant mindset change, the UK government risks wasting a glaring opportunity with a sector that is ready and willing to engage.”

GUH claimed that the MoD’s “outdated procurement mechanisms” are being overtaken by the quickly evolving nature of the threats facing the UK.

Geopolitics demand ‘a more agile and proactive response from the MoD’

© Supplied by BP

Underwater defence was outlined in the SDR, which said the UK will work with Australia and the US to develop “conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines that are interchangeable,” in addition to “artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber, hypersonic missiles and underwater warfare.”

Under the Royal Navy’s ‘Atlantic Bastion’ plan, the UK will work with Nato allies to defend against Russian threats by using “a Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigate force” as well as “uncrewed surface vessels; and uncrewed underwater vehicles”.

The UK has expertise in deploying remotely operated vehicles in the North Sea for activities such as underwater inspections of assets in both the oil and gas and offshore wind sectors.

Artificial intelligence has also become a major focus of the offshore energy industry, with firms looking to use machine learning for data management.

Gordon concluded: “The scale and immediacy of the underwater threat now demands a more agile and proactive response from the MoD.”