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The Royal Netherlands Navy has collected data and images of critical infrastructure on the North Sea floor. This was done in collaboration with the Dutch company Fugro. The order came from the interdepartmental program Protection of the North Sea Infrastructure. This is part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

The submarine internet power cables and pipelines for oil and gas are almost daily targets for sabotage and espionage. Thanks to Fugro’s work, Defence can monitor and protect this infrastructure more accurately.

Unmanned vessels

Mapping the seabed with a remotely controlled unmanned vessel was new for Defence. Fugro has been using these vessels for several years. They have sensors on board and an underwater robot for close inspections. The collaboration with Fugro provided knowledge about the operation of these types of vessels. It also became clear how they can contribute to such an operation.

Fugro also performed analyses on, among other things, the effect on data quality. The company tested under various weather conditions, such as at higher speeds and wave heights of the water.

The project yielded a number of successful results and insights. For example, Defence not only obtained a detailed picture of part of the submarine infrastructure. The organization also gained experience in having such an operation carried out by a civil party.

Broad cooperation

Various stakeholders provided input for the operation. From Defence, this included the Seabed Security Experimentation Centre . In addition, the Hydrographic Service and the Mine Service of the Royal Netherlands Navy were involved. This also applies to the Maritime Systems department of the Materiel Command and IT.

Furthermore, there was cooperation with the Coast Guard and the Northern Naval Capability Cooperation . This is a cooperation in the maritime field between 6 countries with coastlines on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Thanks to this cooperation, the lessons learned can be shared with these partners.

Mapping of the infrastructure on the North Sea floor will continue to develop in the future. This will make an important contribution to the safety of the Netherlands.