Dark, brackish and at times very cold, the Baltic Sea is notoriously inhospitable. And yet under its surface lies communications and energy infrastructure that supports the daily lives of millions of people in surrounding nations. With the world in a state of flux, defending these assets against hostile actors who want to disrupt our way of life has become a priority.
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Stretching from the geographic heart of Europe right up to its remote north, the Baltic Sea plays a critical role in global trade, communications and security. Covering an area of more than 400,000 square kilometres, it shares a border with nine nations and has historically been both a thriving trade hub and the scene of intense battles. The Baltic Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, with some 4,000 vessels making their way across its surface every day. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean via a series of straits and channels and has an average depth of just 55 metres. The Baltic Sea's murky waters and irregular seabed make navigation a major challenge.
Pipelines located on the Baltic Sea's seafloor enable the transfer of natural gas between nations, helping to power daily life. Electricity lines through the sea make it possible for power generated in one nation to be shared with others. And internet cables allow for quick and efficient communication between nations, enabling tasks like banking and trading. The vulnerability of the Baltic Sea’s undersea assets became clear in September 2022 when a series of explosions were recorded on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines. The blasts ruptured three of the four lines of the Nord Stream system, releasing some 800 million cubic metres of gas into the atmosphere.
While the Baltic Sea waters may be murky, a range of technologies can be used to clearly identify potential threats. Submarines have long played a role in defending the Baltic Sea and these are increasingly being joined by unmanned underwater vehicles. Sophisticated side scan and multi-beam sonars allow for large areas of the sea floor to be mapped and monitored in real time, making it difficult for enemies to avoid detection. These can be supplemented with passive detection technologies, such as underwater microphones and sensors mounted to ships or attached to the ocean floor. Passive sensors emit no EM radiation and so are extremely hard to detect. Meanwhile, anti-submarine helicopters, aircraft, and surveillance ships are invaluable assets in the pursuit of underwater threat.
Critical infrastructure increasingly at risk
The infrastructure on the floor of the Baltic Sea has never played a more important role in our lives. At the same time, the risk it faces is growing rapidly thanks to geopolitical instability.
Patrik Fältström is Head of Security at Netnod, an independent internet infrastructure organisation. In these episodes of Shielding the Baltic Sea he explains, “Over the last 10 years, the threat situation has changed and the last two years in particular it's become a lot more dangerous.”
“Over the last 10 years, the threat situation has changed and the last two years in particular it's become a lot more dangerous.”
Patrik Gardesten, Deputy Chief of the Swedish Navy, says the Baltic Sea’s variable salinity, temperatures and bottom topography means advanced sonar equipment is needed to identify threats. “All these factors affect how sounds spreads out and the spread of sound is important for us when we search for submarines and search for mines,” he says. “This of course affects the materials and equipment we need to carry out our mission.”
Angelica Persson, Business Development Analyst at Saab, explains the undersea environment is complex and advanced systems are needed to manage threats. “You need systems that deliver the right information at the right time to a potential decision maker,” she says.
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