UK unveils £1.5 billion plan to counter growing Russian undersea threat

The United Kingdom will invest an additional £1.5 billion over the next four years to strengthen its anti-submarine warfare capabilities under a new programme aimed at countering growing Russian undersea activity in the North Atlantic, according to the Ministry of Defence's Defence Investment Plan.

The initiative, known as Atlantic Bastion, was launched in December 2025 and is designed to create what the government describes as an advanced hybrid naval force combining crewed warships with autonomous surface and underwater vessels, supported by artificial intelligence and digital command systems.

According to the report, the programme is intended to enhance the UK's ability to detect, track and, if necessary, respond to hostile activity across large areas of the North Atlantic while strengthening NATO's maritime defence capabilities.

The Defence Investment Plan says the programme is a direct response to increased Russian underwater operations, including the activities of the Russian intelligence-gathering vessel Yantar and submarines operated by Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI) near British waters.

The report also states that UK Defence Intelligence assesses that Russia is modernising its submarine fleet to target critical undersea infrastructure, including communications cables and energy pipelines.

As part of the programme, the Royal Navy plans to operate a combined force of Type 26 anti-submarine frigates alongside Norway. The vessels will feature mission bays designed to allow rapid upgrades and will be supported by uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles.

The Ministry of Defence said the force's acoustic detection systems will be powered by artificial intelligence and integrated into a digital targeting network intended to improve surveillance, targeting and decision-making across UK and allied forces.

In addition to the naval investment, the government plans to allocate £330 million over the next four years to strengthen the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. The funding will include enhanced capabilities for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Proteus, which specialises in underwater surveillance and seabed operations. The ministry also said it would explore partnerships with industry to increase investment in protecting submarine communications cables.

According to the Defence Investment Plan, Atlantic Bastion will operate from the naval bases at Faslane, Devonport and Portsmouth. The government said the programme is expected to support research and development, encourage commercial innovation and create export opportunities while generating high-skilled jobs in dual-use defence technologies.

By Sabina Mammadli