U.S Navy To Carry Out Biggest Overhaul of Its Top-Secret Undersea Surveillance Network To Counter China

The U.S. Navy has been investing billions of dollars to revamp its Cold War-time submarine detection system in the Pacific Ocean as China enhances its navy and seems more belligerent.

The Integrated Undersea Surveillance System of the U.S. was first developed in the 1950s as a highly confidential program aimed at countering Russian naval capabilities during the Cold War. However, now the fleet of surveillance vessels and the maze of undersea sensor cables are modernized, three individuals with direct knowledge of the effort informed Reuters.

The modernization efforts aim at making surveillance cables smaller while spanning a larger area. The U.S. has also been selling the same tech to Australia.

The plan includes implementing AI for reviewing surveillance data for anomalies and potential foreign craft, something tech could do faster than any human analyst.

The more modern hardware revolves around fleets of unmanned drones that patrol certain zones in the Pacific to look for signs of submarines.

Vessels can carry portable sensors that operate as undersea satellites and can be deployed wherever needed.

To get a window into the best secret program, Reuters reportedly interviewed over a dozen individuals in the Navy or those employed as contractors. It reviewed hundreds of contracts of the Navy. That survey identified 30 deals (at least) linked to the surveillance mission signed in the last three years with several defence giants and startups that work on unmanned sea drones and AI processing.

The systems have and will experience rapid growth and recapitalization as subsea techs are built. As defence priorities are updated, a spokesperson associated with the Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet mentioned in a statement when asked about the effort.

The sudden ramp-up of facilities and capabilities is being focused on as China has become more aggressive against Taiwan. China has pledged to reunify the island by force if needed, while the U.S. has maintained “strategic ambiguity” about its position.

References: Reuters, Fox News, Politomix

U.S Navy To Carry Out Biggest Overhaul of Its Top-Secret Undersea Surveillance Network To Counter China appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News