BAE Systems develops undersea microphones to protect UK cable network

BAE Systems is developing advanced undersea microphones to protect the United Kingdom’s critical undersea cable network. These cables, valued at approximately £65 billion, carry over 90% of the nation’s daily internet traffic and are considered highly vulnerable to sabotage by hostile states, including Russia.

The technology, known as distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), is currently in an experimental phase. It works by detecting vibrations that could indicate a threat, effectively turning the ocean floor into a continuous array of sensors. BAE Systems is integrating this data with artificial intelligence and machine learning programs to enable the timely identification of and response to potential incidents.

The UK Ministry of Defence is collaborating on this development in response to increasing intelligence regarding threats to subsea infrastructure. While these cables have historically faced accidental damage from fishing and shipping, officials have warned of a rise in intentional mapping and intelligence gathering by foreign powers targeting these vital lifelines.