Baltic Sentry: NATO deploys pioneering Naval Drone Fleet to protect undersea infrastructure.

According to information published by the Alliance on January 14, 2025, NATO has initiated Baltic Sentry, a mission to secure critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Central to this operation is the groundbreaking deployment of a small fleet of naval drones.
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Teledyne Webb’s Slocum™ underwater glider at REPMUS 2024. (Picture source: JASCO)

The naval drones deployed in Baltic Sentry bring advanced capabilities to monitor, secure, and protect undersea cables and pipelines. While NATO has not officially disclosed the specific platforms, past experimentation during NATO's REPMUS exercises provides valuable insights. These exercises featured autonomous uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) capable of endurance-focused patrols, real-time data transmission, and underwater threat detection. The systems tested during REPMUS were equipped with sensors, AI-driven navigation, and modular payloads, making them ideal for the unique operational environment of the Baltic Sea.

Platforms like those demonstrated in REPMUS are designed to excel in harsh maritime conditions and deliver precise monitoring of underwater assets. For example, certain models are known for their ability to autonomously navigate to vulnerable points, assess potential damage, and relay high-resolution data to command centers. Their acoustic and imaging sensors can detect anomalies in subsea environments, such as tampering or natural damage to cables, enabling swift intervention.

The decision to deploy these drones comes amid heightened security concerns. Recent incidents, including damage to the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power cable and the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, have demonstrated the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure. With the Baltic Sea hosting some of the most critical energy and communication links for Europe, the threat of hybrid warfare, including sabotage, looms large.

The Baltic Sea, with its complex and crowded underwater environment, presents unique difficulties for traditional surveillance methods.

Undersea infrastructure, particularly submarine cables and pipelines, forms the hidden backbone of the global economy and communication networks. These essential systems carry nearly 99% of international data and play a vital role in transmitting energy, such as gas and electricity, across continents. Despite their importance, they are increasingly vulnerable to natural wear, accidental damage, and, more alarmingly, deliberate sabotage.

Submarine cables are responsible for the seamless flow of information between nations, facilitating internet connectivity, financial transactions, and international communication. With the rise of the digital economy, disruptions to these cables could have catastrophic implications, crippling economies and impairing critical services like healthcare and banking.