Seabed warfare

Seabed warfare is defined as “operations to, from and across the ocean floor.”[1]

In general the target of seabed warfare is infrastructure in place on the seabed such as power cables, telecom cables, or natural resource extraction systems.[2][3] Seabed warfare capabilities are expensive and because of that significant capabilities are only possessed by major powers.[4]

Conflicts on the seabed can be both conventional and unconventional, the latter encompassing non-kinetic approaches such as lawfare.[5]

France has integrated seabed warfare into their military strategy with the concept of Seabed Control Operations which involves expanding their existing mine warfare and hydro-oceanography capabilities to deal with a more comprehensive spectrum of threats.[6]

The American Block VI Virginia-class submarines will include the organic ability to employ seabed warfare equipment.[7]

The Russian submarine Losharik is thought to be capable of seabed warfare.[8]

The Chinese HSU-001 is a small UUV, speculated to be optimized for seabed warfare.[9]

• Naval mine
• SOSUS
• Anti-submarine warfare