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Germany and Norway propose increased NATO surveillance on subsea infrastructure

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 01/12/2022 Bundesregierung
During Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced today (1 December 2022) plans to propose that NATO should establish a surveillance centre to improve the protection of subsea infrastructure. It comes in response to suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream 1&2 gas pipelines earlier this year.

Mr Støre and Mr Scholz agree that a subsea surveillance centre should be organised in collaboration with the private sector, so that plans and security systems can be coordinated to prevent future sabotage. Mr Støre and Mr Scholz will meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg later this evening. The proposal for a new NATO surveillance centre will be discussed at this meeting.

"Chancellor Scholz and I have taken an informal initiative today to improve the protection of subsea infrastructure. We are suggesting that NATO should establish a dedicated surveillance centre for this purpose," said Mr Støre.

"Pipelines, telephone cables and Internet connections are lifelines for our states and must be specially secured," emphasised Chancellor Scholz. "Last but not least, the attacks on the NordStream 1 and 2 pipelines revealed risks in this regard."

"That's why we reacted quickly together after the attacks. Three German frigates set out on patrols in Norwegian waters and contributed to the situational awareness,” Scholz recalled.

"We also want to send a clear signal to the outside world: we take the protection of our critical infrastructure very seriously and we don't want anyone to believe that attacks will have any consequences," said Chancellor Scholz.

In a separate announcement, The UK Royal Navy revealed today that it has ordered its first crewless submarine which it claims will shape the future of underwater warfare. It will be deployed to monitor hostile activity which may pose a threat to the Fleet, or to key national infrastructure such as deep-sea cables and pipelines. It follows other news directly concerning the integrity and security of the UK's subsea infrastructure.


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