The UK is taking the lead in NATO’s Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Smart Defence Initiative, focusing on leveraging maritime uncrewed systems to enhance undersea surveillance and defence capabilities.
In response to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Luke Pollard outlined the UK’s commitment to maintaining operational advantage in the underwater domain. He said, “The Smart Defence Initiative is one part of our work to ensure operational advantage in the underwater domain. Subject to the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review, it will work alongside other fixed and crewed systems, supported by advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and autonomy.”
The UK is leading NATO’s Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network, working with industry partners to fast-track the adoption of new technology. “Industry engagement is already underway and will close at the end of the month,” Pollard added.
Project CABOT and the Digitalisation of the North Atlantic
In parallel with NATO’s initiative, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) is advancing Project CABOT, a programme designed to create a deployable, persistent wide-area ASW search capability. The project integrates autonomous surface and subsurface platforms, such as the Type 92 Sloop, an uncrewed surface vessel, and the Type 93 Chariot, a drone submarine.
The project has a strategic focus on the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap, a critical maritime chokepoint for tracking submarine activity. According to the MOD, “Project CABOT aims to deliver remotely operated and autonomous ASW capabilities, contributing to the ‘Digitalisation of the North Atlantic’ vision.”
The initiative builds on the Project CHARYBDIS programme, previously overseen by the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) as part of the MOD’s ASW Spearhead programme. The MOD highlighted that CABOT was made possible through recent technological breakthroughs enabled by the UK’s NATO ASW Barrier Smart Defence Initiative.
If fully realised, Project CABOT will significantly enhance the Royal Navy’s ability to detect, track, and deter submarines across the North Atlantic, especially in the GIUK gap. This vital area has historically been key to monitoring naval movements.
By deploying drone ships and submarines alongside AI-driven sensor networks, the UK aims to improve maritime surveillance, optimise the use of crewed warships for other operations, and strengthen NATO’s collective undersea warfare capabilities.
