NATO ministers propose bolstering protection of critical underwater infrastructure

By Elías Thorsson October 23, 2024
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Norges forsvarsminister Bjørn Arild Gram og Tysklands forsvarsminister Boris Pistorius tar til orde for at Natos maritime senter for sikring av kritisk undersjøisk infrastruktur (CUI) skal suppleres med regionale nav. (Foto: Lars Gjemble/Forsvarsdepartementet)
The defense ministers of Norway and Germany, Bjørn Arild Gram and Boris Pistorius, advocate that NATO’s new Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure should be supplemented with regional hubs. (Photo: Lars Gjemble/the Norwegian Ministry of Defense via High North News)

Last week, NATO defense ministers met in Brussels to advance efforts on deterrence and defense, reports High North News. A key development was a joint proposal from Norway and Germany to bolster the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.

  • Norway and Germany’s defense ministers signed a joint statement to enhance NATO’s role in safeguarding critical underwater infrastructure.
  • The proposal includes creating regional hubs for the Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI), launched by NATO in May.
  • These hubs would focus on maritime areas like the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.
  • Norway offers to lead the CUI Hub for the High North, while Germany will take responsibility for the Baltic Sea.
  • The initiative builds on prior proposals by Norwegian and German leaders, driven by increasing threats to undersea infrastructure from manned and unmanned vehicles.
  • Recent sabotage of undersea energy pipelines and communication cables highlights the growing risk of attacks on critical infrastructure.