The U.S. is rebuilding a global maritime spy system in response to increased Chinese capabilities

The United States had a global maritime tracking system meant to keep track of Soviet submarines during the Cold War. After the Cold War, updating priority for this tracking system fell. China has upgraded its submarine fleet, as well as its capabilities to track submarine movement in the South China Sea. The U.S. intends to upgrade current surveillance systems to include AI use.

From The Daily Caller:

As nuclear tensions spiked between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the U.S. military laid down a vast network of underwater acoustic cables to spy on Soviet submarines roughly 70 years ago, only revealing the existence of the program in 1991. Now, the Navy is applying modern technologies to make each node in the network smaller and more capable, and add a host of unmanned, artificial intelligence-operated capabilities, Reuters reported, citing the sources.

Existing surveillance ships will be retrofitted with acoustic devices and microphones, according to Reuters. A fleet of underwater sea drones will patrol the ocean depths and portable “underwater satellite” sensors will listen for enemy vessels. AI powered software can collect and analyze data from these new capabilities, providing information to the military in seconds.

Reuters also spoke to more than a dozen people working on the program and reviewed hundreds of Navy contracts. It found at least 30 tied to the IUSS granted in the past three years.

Interesting perspective onto a PLAN Kilo-class submarine. Note extended forward dive planes, not something you typically see with the type surfaced. Source see watermark. pic.twitter.com/u6mhmAwRfh

— Alex Luck (@AlexLuck9) September 13, 2023

The Daily Caller provides additional information here.

Category: International Affairs, Military issues, Navy