Submarine security, Navy authorised to engage those threatening strategic infrastructure
The Italian government has presented a bill introducing powerful new rules of engagement for the Navy giving Italian naval and submarine assets the authorisation to intervene with force against anyone who threatens the security of strategic submarine infrastructure, such as cables and gas pipelines. The amendment to the Code of Military Order allows the Italian armed forces to 'engage, disable, destroy, seize or hijack' any vessel, such as submarines or drones, that is attempting to damage or sabotage infrastructure considered to be of national interest. This measure, included in the bill recently filed in the Senate, is an important step to strengthen the security of Italy's strategic assets under the sea and responds to growing concerns over the protection of submarine infrastructure in an increasingly tense global geopolitical context.
This action is necessary at a time when threats in the Italian seas are increasingly evident, as evidenced by the underwater attacks on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea and other international sabotage incidents. The bill is a direct response to these threats, emphasising the importance of defending vital infrastructure for the country and strengthening the reaction capabilities of the Italian armed forces. The possibility of engaging suspicious assets that threaten the security of submarine resources is not only a defensive measure, but also a signal of determination to protect Italy's strategic assets from hostile intervention.
Musumeci: the new Agency for the Safety of Underwater Activities
Alongside the change in the rules of engagement for the Navy, the government has also introduced an important innovation with the creation of the Agency for the Safety of Underwater Activities. The Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, illustrated the bill that provides for the creation of this new agency, which will have the task of regulating and monitoring civil and military underwater activities, preventing interference and conflicts between the various operations taking place under the sea. The agency, based in Rome, will also have the task of coordinating the protection of underwater infrastructure and ensuring adequate security in a rapidly developing sector that includes advanced technologies, civil, scientific, military, and tourism operations.
In a context where the underwater dimension is often the subject of conflicts between states and attacks aimed at damaging strategic assets, the agency will also have the task of exchanging information with the Italian secret services regarding submarine infrastructure critical to national security. This new agency is part of an international panorama that sees Europe increasingly concerned about the defence of submarine assets and the control of resources in the Mediterranean and beyond.
Safety and new regulations for civil and military vessels
Another key aspect of the bill concerns the regulation of civil underwater activities and improving the safety of diving and hyperbaric operators. The bill responds to a regulatory vacuum that has long characterised the sector, with the exponential growth of advanced underwater technologies and an increase in seabed activities. Incidents such as the implosion of the Titan submarine in the Atlantic Ocean in 2023 have highlighted the need for clear and binding international standards for safety in civil underwater operations. The Act, therefore, establishes an up-to-date regulatory framework to govern underwater navigation and the use of submarine assets, while protecting submarine operators and resources from accidents and sabotage.
The bill, therefore, not only strengthens the defence of strategic infrastructures, but also aims to ensure a safer and well-regulated underwater sector, in order to support the growth of the sector and the protection of the marine environment. The creation of the Agency for the Safety of Underwater Activities and the introduction of stricter rules for civil underwater means are part of a broader design that sees Italy committed to defending its strategic submarine interests in an increasingly complex and dangerous global context.
Published by Condoralex
Born Alessandro Generotti, C.le Maj. Parachutist on leave. Military Parachutist Patent no. 192806. 186th RGT Par. Folgore/5th BTG. Par. El Alamein/XIII Cp. Par. Condor.
Founder and administrator of the website BRIGATAFOLGORE.NET. Blogger and computer scientist by profession.
