NATO is using artificial intelligence to monitor for subsea cable attack, the alliance has revealed.

NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation based in Italy has developed software which constantly monitors marine traffic across Europe.

Although Ireland is not a member of the military alliance, the UK is. Working with Ireland, Royal Navy ships regularly patrol Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

“NATO has developed a new tool to help Allies detect suspicious shipping vessel activity and protect undersea cables and pipelines from potential sabotage”, the alliance says.

“Artificial intelligence analyses maritime traffic, allowing authorities to spot vessels that appear to be diverting off-course to potentially damage or gather intelligence about undersea infrastructure.”

There is increasing concern about the vulnerability of pipelines and cables. It follows a spate of ‘accidents’ over the last year that saw power lines and internet cables damaged.

EU leaders met on Monday to discuss ways of boosting European security and defence. The Taoiseach raised undersea cables as an issue of particular importance to Ireland.

“Particularly from an Irish perspective…maritime security, subsea cables and cyber security is very important”, said Micheál Martin.

The director of NATO’s testing centre, Dr Eric Pouliquen, said the technology they are using continues to improve.

“The threat can be taking different forms, different shapes. And so that’s why technology must respond to that within in different ways.”

The AI-based software is the result of years of development, he said.