Issues regarding the strengthening of the protection of subsea cables, pipelines, and other vital facilities were discussed at a meeting of NATO’s Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI) Network held in Rostock, Germany.
Sea-news.az reports that the event was attended by representatives of NATO member states, Alliance experts, infrastructure operators, European Union delegates, and representatives from NATO partner countries.
Amid escalating hybrid threats, the main focus of the discussions centered on expanding information sharing, strengthening inter-agency cooperation, enhancing operational capabilities and rapid response readiness, as well as reinforcing the resilience of critical infrastructure. Participants also visited a private sector exhibition demonstrating surface and subsea uncrewed vehicles, modular uncrewed platforms, and mine countermeasure assets. These technologies serve to improve threat detection, monitoring, and incident response capabilities for underwater infrastructure.
Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingcombe, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation and Special Coordinator for Hybrid Threats, stated that information exchange brings together governments, industrial enterprises, infrastructure owners and operators, as well as relevant NATO entities, enhancing real-time situational awareness. He noted that critical infrastructure is increasingly becoming a target, as witnessed in Ukraine and in Russia’s hybrid attacks against NATO members. According to him, the CUI network plays a crucial role in the Alliance’s overall response to hybrid threats.
New companies joined the network at the meeting, while partners from the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East participated for the first time. The NATO official expressed gratitude to Germany for its contributions to protecting critical undersea infrastructure.
It should be noted that the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions and subsequent infrastructure disruptions in the Baltic Sea brought the vulnerability of undersea assets to the forefront. Established in 2024, NATO’s Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network serves to strengthen information exchange and cooperation among member nations, military and civilian bodies, the private sector, and the scientific community. The “Baltic Sentry” initiative, launched by NATO in January 2025, also aims to reinforce the Alliance’s presence in the Baltic Sea, improve situational control, and deter activities that could disrupt stability. The multinational “CTF Baltic” headquarters located in Rostock, Germany, plays a vital role in assessing the military situation in the Baltic Sea and coordinating the operations of NATO naval forces.
