The Allies discussed the security of submarine cables at the meeting of defence ministers on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October, as the Russian Navy aggressively probed submarine communication cable networks.
“The ministers received a report on the importance and the vulnerabilities related to undersea cables and the importance of being able to protect undersea infrastructure”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the press, recalling that submarine cables transmit the vast majority of the world’s communication data. “Telecommunications, data transmission and financial markets depend on submarine cables”, he said.
According to the Secretary General, most of these cables are privately owned and their location is publicly known. “And that makes them potentially vulnerable. So we need to monitor the potential vulnerabilities”, he added. NATO has “tools to protect them and to monitor threats”, including a new command in Norfolk, one of whose tasks is to examine how to protect and monitor threats to underwater infrastructure, Mr Stoltenberg said.
More generally, the Allies discussed the need to strengthen the resilience of their infrastructure, including ports and airports, fuel, food and medical supplies, and telecommunications, including 5G. “Although we have made progress, there are still vulnerabilities. For example, foreign control of the critical infrastructure on which our societies and armies rely”, explained the Secretary General, pointing to Chinese investments in ports and airports.
Space. Ministers also agreed to strengthen their space activities, with the establishment of a new NATO Specialised Centre at the Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany. “[The centre] will help to coordinate Allied space activities; Support NATO missions and operations from space, including with communications and satellite imagery; And protect Allied space systems by sharing information about potential threats”, said Mr Stoltenberg. While the centre will begin work drawing on Air Command expertise with “limited” staff, “we plan to expand and increase the size and importance of the centre” gradually, he advised.
For, according to the Secretary General, the Alliance must have safe and reliable systems in space, while Russia and China “[are] developing capabilities that can blind, destroy, for instance, satellites, which will have severe impact on both military and civilian activities on the ground”.
Eastern Mediterranean. The Allies also discussed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean and tensions between Greece and Turkey.
“We all agree that tensions must be resolved on the basis of international law and Allied solidarity, and we all recognise the importance of avoiding words and actions that could aggravate tensions”, Mr Stoltenberg said. He therefore welcomed the announcement by both Allies that they would cancel their respective military exercises originally scheduled for the next few days in the zone.
Missions. Ministers agreed to significantly expand NATO’s mission in Iraq. There are currently 500 people on this mission. The Secretary General said that the Allies had begun detailed planning and that ministers would agree on the details in February 2021. In the meantime, Mr Stoltenberg will continue his consultations with the Iraqi authorities and the international coalition against Daesh.
If no decision has been taken on the mission in Afghanistan, the Allies will have to address this issue in the coming months. “We will face a dilemma”, Mr Stoltenberg acknowledged, adding that the Allies must analyse the situation and make “difficult decisions”. According to the Secretary General, “it is important not to stay longer than necessary, but it is important not to leave too soon”, so that the country does not become again a “paradise for terrorist organisations”.
Nagorno-Karabakh. Furthermore, Mr Stoltenberg expressed the ministers’ concern about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. “We call on Azerbaijan and Armenia to de-escalate, to cease fighting and hostilities and to respect and implement a ceasefire”, he said, adding that he also expects Turkey to use its significant influence in the region to ease tensions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)