The ocean-excavated domain remains one of the most obscure and strategically vital theatres of modern conflict. The ever-evolving submarine, with its inherent stealth and increasing numbers of capabilities, is now a force medular to modern naval operations, deterrence, subsurface warfare, and land-attack operations. The asymmetric advantage of freedom to operate undetected beneath the waves makes the ASW not just a tactical pursuit but an outright strategic necessity for every maritime power.
Anti-submarine warfare in the 21st century is much more than detecting and tracking. It requires supreme situational awareness from space-based observation to seabed sensor networks over huge areas and often acoustically complex environments.
The Royal Navy, intending to counter this changing environment, has embarked on Project Cabot, intending to place a continuous antisubmarine warfare barrier in the North Atlantic. Project Cabot marks a bold leap forward in the world of autonomous anti-submarine warfare. Project Cabot is more than just a step forward; it represents an entire rethink of how the UK and NATO intend to deal with underwater threats. Rather than adding more bells and whistles to old systems, it is throwing out the rulebook.
The goal? To spot trouble under the waves before it gets close, and to do it without putting more people in danger.
I. The Evolving Threat Landscape: Why ASW is More Critical Than Ever
Undersea warfare has changed a lot in the last few years, making the classical methods of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) increasingly obsolete. During the Cold War, ASW stood on the back of crewed platforms and fixed systems of surveillance such as SOSUS.
But today’s submarines are much stealthier, especially nuclear and advanced diesel-electric ones. A lot of them come equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP), which gives them a longer time to stay underwater and, therefore, shorter windows during which they can be detected. Just trailing a single modern submarine requires multiple high-value assets, posing an issue about scaling as the topography gets more complicated.
Current ASW systems are also easily disrupted. Loss of even a few maritime patrol aircrafts or damage to key airfields would gravely render such capabilities ineffective. In addition, modern submarines equipped with long-range cruise missiles and heavyweight torpedoes now out-range the surface ships that hunt them, increasing the operational risk faced by traditional ASW forces.
Strategic maritime choke points, mainly the GIUK Gap, are making a comeback in importance. The GIUK Gap was the war zone during the Cold War with surveillance. Russia’s Northern Fleet, however, has been exercising unprecedented levels of activity. Climate change further intensifies the threat: Melting Arctic ice is opening new shipping routes, allowing Russian naval forces to expand their reach and gain direct access to the North Atlantic, which complicates NATO’s efforts to track and contain them. Suddenly, the change demands more constantly present adaptive ASW in these waters.
Submarine capabilities are fast improving: Yasen and Borei are the newest generation of submarines from Russia, with high stealth capabilities, equipped with Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles, and Zircon hypersonic missiles for very precise long-range strikes. China, on the other hand, has the world’s largest-rated submarine force with its Jin-class SSBNs and Shang-class SSNs-regarded further for AIP-classed upgrades for better stealth. These developments are assisting Chinese ambitions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) backed by its String of Pearls-a network of strategic ports for enabling the prolonged undersea presence.
Besides classic threats, a new dimension of hybrid warfare has come into being against undersea infrastructure. With advanced surveillance equipment, vessels such as Russia’s Yantar can deploy ROVs to compromise underwater communication cables and offshore energy networks. Interruptions through these attacks could bring havoc on global communications, energy flow, and financial systems. NATO has been growing more concerned about the issue, which has further triggered reassessments of its defensive postures. These interlocking challenges-stealthier submarines, contested chokepoints, and threats to critical seabed infrastructure-make it clear that an unmitigated transformation must take place in ASW. Future success in this field will require moving away from platform-centric solutions to the integration of autonomous systems, AI, and wide-area, persistent surveillance to maintain undersea dominance.
II. Project Cabot: Pioneering the Autonomous ASW Barrier
Project Cabot is a strong initiative by the Royal Navy to enable a different kind of approach toward tracking undersea threats and their deterrence. GIUK Gap, which has always served as a strategic gateway between the Arctic and North Atlantic, is one of the targets. It is a period of escalating tensions, and submarine activities have assumed a stealthier person. Hence, the intention is to arrange a nearly perpetual vigil over the area. This results in the amalgamation of smart sensors, autonomous systems, and layered surveillance that gives an early warning and clearer picture of the activities beneath the waves before offending parties can endanger allied waters.
The first phase of the project is operational, called ATLANTIC NET, developing the Contractor Owned, Contractor Operated, Naval Oversight (COCONO) model for execution. Private industry, through privatized ASW as a service, is utilizing lean-crewed or preferably remotely operated or fully autonomous systems. By adopting this novel philosophy, they can almost instantaneously deploy capability followed by an enormous increase in persistence at sea, thereby freeing a lot of strain from the Royal Navy personnel and platforms in favour of other important mission areas.
The reliance on the COCONO framework is not simply to optimize procurement; it also solves manpower shortages on a pressing basis for the Royal Navy. Under recruitment and retention pressure, contractor-operated unmanned systems provide a scalable low-manpower way of maintaining ASW mass and coverage in a critical theatre.
III. Technical Deep Dive: Components and Capabilities of Project Cabot
There are several complex technical problems that, if solved, will make the success of Project Cabot much inclined. These Thales, a key project partner, has grouped into six critical development areas that must advance in parallel, instead of sequentially. First, they require robust long-range underwater communication and secure data transfer.
The second challenge is increasing the operational endurance of the uncrewed vehicles (UVs). Whereas the bulk of current UVs have just a few days’ worth of endurance, Cabot will have to endure sustained long-duration deployments. Unlike in a laboratory or demonstration scenario where a cutting-edge technology may impress, real-world success relies on reliability and robustness.
Thirdly, to the greatest extent possible, this project intends to retrofit existing naval assets. However, doing so means much more than just installing autonomy software, since it now becomes necessary to rethink vessel design where human-machine interaction was once a crucial factor so that these platforms will be able to function effectively and independently.
In essence, Project Cabot will be based in the interoperation of autonomous surface and underwater platforms.
Type 92 Sloop is envisioned as an uncrewed surface vessel (USV). Imagery of and preliminary discussions about it have described it to probably be about 25-50 meters long and optimized with a hull form providing maximum seakeeping capability, mainly carrying a towed array sonar. XV PATRICK BLACKETT, built by Damen as a Crew Transfer Vessel, probably offers a glimpse into the design and capabilities of Type 92.
The counterpart to this would be the Type 93 Chariot drone submarine or UUV. The name is a historical nod to the World War II British “human torpedo”. The Royal Navy has already been hedging with MANTA demonstrator Extra Large UUV (xLUUV), built by mSubs, to support ASW with towed arrays and other sensors, and a bigger 17-ton XLUUV called CETUS is in construction for the Royal Navy, again by mSubs. BAE Systems, at the same time the said CETUS is being built, also in collaboration with Cellula Robotics, launched HERNE XLUUV in UK waters in late 2024, showing very clearly where much effort will be poured on for this set of projects.
Advanced sensors and AI/ML constitute a central feature in Project Cabot’s operational framework. The system will comprise AI-enabled sensor networks, covering both uncrewed surface and sub-surface vehicles. Once filtered, data is transmitted to the Remote Operations Centre (ROC) for a road-trench analysis by Royal Navy personnel. This off-board processing paves the way for lean vessel operations with reduced crew requirements. AI and ML complement their application in data processing to enable the autonomous system to perceive and adapt by learning and decision-making, all of which are innate to the Cabot mission.
Consider AI-a force multiplier, which performs the heavy lifting in the initial interpretation of data, freeing human analysts to undertake higher-level decisions. Success will, therefore, depend on the successful symbiosis of AI systems with human operators—which will require effortless human-to-AI interaction and will consequently allow human operators to place a great deal of trust in AI-assisted decisions and will need extensive training in remote operations.
IV. The “Digitalisation of the North Atlantic”: A Strategic Pivot
This is an umbrella vision to encapsulate Project Cabot, which constitutes a massive restructuring of the Royal Navy’s approach to maritime security in one of the world’s most prominent shipping lanes. The picture is one of a highly integrated digital networking of ASW capability moving away from the strictly manpower-heavy approach to one where there are more nodes, more autonomy, and augmented persistence at sea. This change aims at providing an historical-type “unblinking eye” over the North Atlantic, especially over the strategically important GIUK Gap.
By placing and utilizing uncrewed surface and subsurface vehicles in combination with advanced sensors, networks, and AI analytics, surveillance and detection are improved while concurrently freeing the manned warships for other critical operations. This directly facilitates the Royal Navy’s endeavour to achieve mass in operations without having to increase personnel numbers, thus cementing its force posture when human resources are scarce.
Project Cabot builds on earlier UK initiatives, including Project CHARYBDIS running under the MOD ASW Spearhead programme through the aegis of the Submarine Delivery Agency. It also integrates the technological progress of the UK-led NATO ASW Barrier Smart Defence Initiative, thereby reinforcing its alignment with broader allied objectives. This shared basis further strengthens the project’s relevance in the evolving strategic landscape.
Beyond a mere technological upgrade, this digitalisation is a paradigm shift, establishing an entirely different approach to ASW-going from reactive to proactive. If formerly recognized threats were dealt with, now the Royal Navy seeks to impose an ongoing deterrence by making the undersea domain transparent and denying the freedom of such operation to the adversaries at their discretion. Such a permanent digital presence is the final act of deterrence, whereby adversaries would have to change their approach to subverting such air power or make a deliberate decision of avoiding such a region altogether.
In an increasingly “Cold War II”-style era, fueling show of might by Russian naval activity, this forward-looking approach gives NATO a step in influencing adversary behaviour-strategic influence, beyond mere detection. With the help of unremitting monitoring and digital integration, Project Cabot, backed by the Canadian detection infrastructure, establishes the North Atlantic as a defined maritime zone among allies and ensures that the alliance stays one step ahead in undersea warfare.
V. India’s Strategic Imperative: ASW in the Indian Ocean Region
The extensive coastline of India and strategic maritime interests dictate a robust ASW capability. Yet the IOR maybe presents certain hydrological variables. The relatively shallow Arabian Sea acts as a bell that sends back sonar signals, thus cloaking the submarine, while the Bay of Bengal with its great depths requires altogether different methods for detection. This hydrological dichotomy so aptly puts it that the Indian Navy has to cater to dual ASW strategies in accordance with either environment.
The somewhat growing strategic rivalry between India and China has brought undersea warfare center-stage, as it should be. China is now running the largest submarine fleet in the world, including stealthy Jin-class SSBNs and Shang-class SSNs, many of whom are fitted with AIP. The “String of Pearls”–an array of strategic ports across the IOR (Gwadar, Hambantota, Kyaukpyu, Djibouti)–is India’s representation of an attempt to seek greater influence and encirclement in the region.
This necessitates that India continues to undergo a modernization of the ASW capabilities to safeguard its 7,500 km coastline and nearly 1,200 islands alongside scores of ports and offshore energy assets. Further to exacerbate this threat to India, the Chinese increasing presence of dual-use “research vessels” must be noted.
India’s strategic attention is also moving westwards, to the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). Increased piracy, greater India-Africa engagement, and growing Chinese presence propel the trend. The MAHASAGAR strategy and 2025 AIKEYME plan mirror India’s aspiration to be the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ and ‘First Responder’ of the IOR.
India’s ASW buildup is not just tactical—it’s geopolitical. Getting ready to counter China’s submarine-based power projection is a matter of preserving influence in its maritime backyard. Advanced ASW capabilities, indigenous development, and strategic partnerships—such as a new undersea surveillance pact with Australia—bear witness to India’s resolve to extend maritime mastery and reshape the regional balance of power.
VI. India’s Indigenous ASW Evolution: Capabilities and Collaborations
At the heart of this is the P-8I Poseidon, a long-range maritime patrol aircraft adapted for India. Armed with an AN/APY-10 radar, MAD, EO/IR sensors, deployable sonobuoys, and ESM, it drops Mark 54 torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The P-8I offers unparalleled ISR and ASW capability along the Malacca Strait and other strategic choke points, and hence is key for interoperability with the Quad partners.
Six Kalvari-class submarines, including INS Vagsheer (2025), were built under Project 75 with French assistance. AIP integration begins with INS Kalvari in 2025–26. Under Project 75(I), India plans six next-gen AIP-equipped submarines via global collaboration.
India has another realm of autonomous ASW in development. With Sagar Defence and Liquid Robotics (Boeing) collaboratively developing Wave Glider USVs, the promise is for continuous surveillance for an unbroken year on energy harvested from waves and solar. Parallelly, Adani Defence and Sparton (Elbit Systems) are working locally on advanced ASW technology.
India is aiming at AI-enabled autonomous systems, which would entail the development and operational deployment of Cognitive Digital Twins (CDTs)-real-time AI-enabled constructs that combine multi-domain data (land, sea, air, space, cyber) into a single Command, Control, and Intelligence (CCCI) framework. Through this system, situational awareness is enhanced while cognitive load is alleviated, thereby facilitating decision-making. India has already tested CDT tech in Samudrayaan-Matsya 6000, demonstrating practical deep-sea application.
Together, these efforts mark India’s shift toward a next-generation, networked ASW ecosystem, blending indigenous capability with cutting-edge autonomy and international alignment to safeguard its maritime domain.
VII. Synergies and Divergences: Project Cabot’s Global Resonance and India’s Path
Though different regions completely, Project Cabot and India’s ASW modernization share converging strategic imperatives and technological transitions as facets of a more global systemic shift in undersea warfare. Both insist on overcoming the limitations posed by traditional crewed platforms with an emphasis on undersea surveillance that is persistent, scalable, and cost-effective, achieved through autonomy and minimal manpower.
Project Cabot, located in the North Atlantic, intends to build an uninterrupted ASW “barrier” across the GIUK Gap to monitor and deter Russian naval movement. The subject region has deep, turbulent waters that require a lasting, robust detection capacity to maintain the maritime perimeter of NATO.
On the other hand, India’s ASW activities are more suited to the Indian Ocean Region, which offers its own set of challenges: the shallow Arabian Sea on the west and deep Bay of Bengal on the east. India’s main concern enlarges with China’s growing submarine fleet and its String of Pearls strategy designed to wield influence over IOR. This forces India to work on dual-capability systems suited to varying bathymetry.
Project Cabot is the UK-led ASW Barrier Smart Defence Initiative and might be a useful example somewhere to try multilateral cooperation. Extended beyond NATO, regional powers such as India may impose an alternative more global ASW posture.
Hence, both Project Cabot and Indian initiatives represent a trajectory in alignment with the transformation to AI-driven, autonomous, and networked systems for wide-area and long-duration undersea monitoring. They are the embodiment of a growing consensus globally-that the future of ASW is uncrewed, intelligent, and cooperative maritime defense architectures-although they operate in different theaters confronting disparate adversaries.
