Published on
02/06/2026 - 9:36 GMT+2
The sea is no longer just a transport route or an economic resource, but the centre of a silent yet crucial strategic contest. Today, the underwater domain has become a key arena of hybrid warfare, where national security is increasingly linked to the protection of vital but largely unseen infrastructure.
Our everyday lives depend on the seabed: more than 99% of global data travels through submarine telecommunications cables, while the energy security of nations depends on gas pipelines and power interconnectors.
Disrupting this infrastructure could halt banking transactions worth billions of euros and cut off the energy supply of entire countries. This is why underwater defence has become a global market estimated at around €50 billion a year.
