UK To Acquire Two Specialized Ships To Protect Underwater Infrastructure -Defense Minister

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2022) The United Kingdom will acquire two specialized vessels to protect its underwater cables and pipelines amid recent attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Sunday.

In his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham Wallace referred to the acts of sabotage on both Nord Stream offshore pipelines as "mysterious damage," adding that these attacks should remind the UK that its economy and infrastructure are fragile.

"Our internet and energy are highly reliant on pipelines and cables... So for that reason I can announce we have recently committed to two specialist ships with the capability to keep our cables and pipelines safe," Wallace said.

London will purchase the first "multi-role survey ship for seabed warfare" this year and will put it in operation by the end of 2023, Wallace noted, adding that the second vessel would be built in the UK.

On Monday, the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore pipelines in the Baltic Sea were damaged by explosions and rendered inoperative. The Swedish and Danish authorities said they discovered gas leaks caused by undersea explosions, with the consensus being that the incident was a result of sabotage.