Preliminary Analysis of European Underwater Infrastructure Security

This paper aims to present a review of the European Underwater Infrastructure Security, analyzing the state-of-theart thought the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats) and PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technologies, Legal, Environment) tools and establishing a monitoring, protection, and intervention system for submarine cables within the CLASS (Cyber, Land, Air, Sea, Space) multidomain systems. It encompasses the challenges to their functionality and the measures currently in place for their protection. This will be achieved by integrating the relevant data from the E-navigation system, thereby ensuring maritime activities’ safety and the marine environment’s preservation. Consequently, NATO and its allies must prioritize CMI protection through comprehensive risk assessments, investment in advanced surveillance technologies, and international cooperation to protect these critical networks against evolving threats. This comprehensive PESTEL analysis emphasizes the multifaceted challenges of securing submarine cables, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts between member states and stakeholders to ensure the resilience and protection of critical maritime infrastructure.