An Cosantóir

47 communication. Even though AI has gone through a series of highs and lows, in terms of expectations, accomplishments and failures, there is an added security concern: as computer- based system artificially intelligent UUVs would be subject to enemy efforts to defeat them, including attempts to take control of the AI and possibly turn the system against its owners. UUVs will bring significant changes to naval warfare, from longer range and endurance attack and surveillance operations amid minefields and enemy ships/submarines, to being able to strike undersea, surface, or land targets with improved targeting at long ranges. However, there will need to be established ethical guidelines for their use and it would be interesting to see just how this type of vessel could be integrated into the variety of operations conducted by the Irish Navy. One aspect of concern where they may be able to utilise UUVs will be the protection of underwater cables within Irish maritime jurisdiction. Undersea cables carry more than 90% of the world's communications, including trillions of Euros worth of financial transactions every day! They also provide internet and communication links between nations and continents, so the need to protect these assets is vital. Now because of today's reliance on digital infrastructure, there is a growing concern that these underwater arteries could be vulnerable to attack and only recently the Irish Navy's Captain Brian Fitzgerald (now retired) stated that "….we have to develop a capability that will be able to respond to any threat to these sub-sea cables going forward, their importance is too great." The British Royal Navy have indicated that they intend to order a new surveillance ship to monitor this critical infrastructure. The new Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ship is due to come into service in 2024 and be manned by a crew of 15. This vessel will be fitted with advanced sensors and will carry a number of remotely operated and autonomous undersea drones, which will collect data. It is clear that these cables need to be protected and countries realise that they are of strategic importance. So as Captain Fitzgerald pointed out "…the ability to look under the sea is a crucial element of our state's architecture that we should be developing." Technology will always be a forerunner in military services, but technology alone can only do so much. It is difficult to see the Navy being able to carry out the protection of marine assets, or countering arms smuggling and conducting illegal drugs interdiction via technology alone. Unless it's a first strike option, as opposed to a means of restraint. It is clear that countries and manufacturers are experimenting with new technologies such as autonomous systems, AI and directed energy weapons. The objective is to incrementally amplify existing symmetrical and asymmetrical capabilities and one wonders how long it will be and to what degree will the Irish Navy enter into the fray. Until such time it will be the fine and dedicated sailors who continue to ensure that the Irish Naval Service guarantee the security of Ireland's territorial waters. v A fleet of T-150's visited the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wale, photo by Malloy Aeronautics v Digital Underwater Networked Communications. NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) graphic THE NEXT 75 YRS

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