Overview
- MPs and peers on the Joint Committee say they are not confident the UK could prevent or swiftly recover from coordinated attacks on subsea cables and pipelines.
- Defence Secretary John Healey confirms the Russian vessel Yantar has collected data on UK underwater infrastructure, with drone activity observed near cables.
- The committee calls for tougher legal penalties, expanded monitoring and alert systems with direct interdiction, and acquisition of a sovereign cable‑repair ship by 2030.
- Parliamentarians urge the Royal Navy to build a cadre of reservists and serving personnel with cable‑repair skills to ensure repair capability in a conflict scenario.
- The Ministry of Defence says the Strategic Defence Review is funding protections including Nordic Warden, RFA Proteus and Atlantic Bastion, as MPs stress there is no imminent threat but significant resilience gaps remain.