The UK government is set to invest an initial £90 million in 'Atlantic Net', a new surveillance service designed to secure the North Atlantic. This investment will enable Atlantic Net to become operational from next year, according to Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry.
Atlantic Net is part of the broader Atlantic Bastion programme, which aims to deliver a naval warfare technology revolution. The system will utilise advanced sensors, sonar, and autonomous platforms, powered by AI, to detect undersea threats across the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap.
In a related development, Saab UK has been contracted to integrate new lightweight counter-drone radar systems into the K3 fleet of uncrewed boats. These Kraken K3 Scout boats are currently used to patrol the UK coastline.
The initiative involves collaboration between industry, the Navy, and Commercial X, a new unit established to streamline maritime acquisition processes. The government states that most of Atlantic Net's platforms and systems will be delivered by British small and medium-sized suppliers.