France expects in the coming months to obtain its first deep-sea drone and robot, part of a military programme to counter hybrid threats such as attacks on telecommunications infrastructure in its waters, two military sources familiar with the plan said.
The suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last month has left Western states scrambling to better protect energy and telecommunications infrastructure on the seabed, especially at depths of 3,000-6,000 metres (10,000-19,800 feet).
