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Transcript/ScriptUndersea Security Defense Russia
HEADLINE: Russia Developing ‘Bespoke’ Weapons to Target Critical Subsea Cables, Pipelines
TEASER: West blames Kremlin for sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines
PUBLISHED AT: 02/02/2023 630pm
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Reifenrath, DJ (ok)
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Teams, AFP, APTN, Reuters, NATO, British MOD
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:56
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Western naval forces are having to adapt to a new threat as adversaries develop new capabilities to target critical undersea infrastructure such as gas pipelines and cables. Henry Ridgwell reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Huge volumes of natural gas bubbled up through the Baltic Sea as the Nord Stream pipelines linking Russia and Germany ruptured in September.
((Mandatory CG: EXPRESSEN/BLUE EYE ROBOTICS ))
Underwater video shows at least 50 meters of pipeline destroyed – with huge tears observed along the seabed. Swedish investigators found traces of explosives
((end courtesy))
– and the West suspects Russia of sabotage. Days after the incident, Britain announced plans to enhance its undersea defense capabilities.
((Ben Wallace, British Defense Secretary))
“Russia makes no secret of its ability to target such infrastructure. So for that reason, I can announce we've recently committed to two specialist ships with the capability to keep our cables and pipelines safe.”
((NARRATOR)) ((cf. Courtesy: British Ministry of Defense)))
The first of those vessels is currently being fitted out by the British navy – which says it will act as a "mother ship" operating remote and autonomous systems for underwater surveillance and seabed warfare.
Millions of kilometers of undersea cables and pipelines carry the energy and data that power the global economy.
((Sidharth Kaushal, Royal United Services Institute Analyst)) ((Teams, no courtesy))
“A number of challengers to the West, Russia most notably, are developing bespoke capabilities to target precisely these vulnerabilities, things like special purpose submarines.”
((NARRATOR))
Russia denies sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines. But observers say the Kremlin increasingly sees Western subsea infrastructure as a vulnerability. In late December, Russia launched four new warships, including two nuclear-powered submarines.
((Vladimir Putin, Russian President (in Russian) ))
“They have highly accurate weapons and robotic complexes.”
((NARRATOR))
Faced with that threat, NATO and the European Union last month launched a joint task force on protecting critical infrastructure. NATO’s secretary-general outlined the alliance’s posture in October, following the Nord Stream explosion.
((Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General))
((cf. courtesy NATO))
“Any deliberate attack against allies’ critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response. Hybrid and cyberattacks can trigger Article 5 (on collective self-defense), can constitute an armed attack against a NATO ally.”
The West must clarify its rules of engagement, says analyst Kaushal.
((Sidharth Kaushal, Royal United Services Institute Analyst)) ((Teams, no courtesy))
“What does one actually do when one observes, for example, a submarine tampering with critical national infrastructure, but not in a way that necessarily leads to an immediate loss of life? So, actually, it’s more a question of how you change organizational practices to deal with this sort of activity.”
((NARRATOR))
Analysts say naval forces must adapt quickly to defend critical infrastructure beneath the waves – as adversaries develop new offensive capabilities in hybrid warfare.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
London
Embargo DateFebruary 2, 2023 00:14 EST
Byline((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
