How Global Warming Raises Security Concerns

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With the increased development and use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, northern countries such as Norway have been raising concerns towards global warming melting arctic ice and opening new waterways for possibly hostile UUVs.

Norwegian officials are concerned that the new waterways could be used by superpowers such as Russia, China, and the United States to increase their international military presence and intelligence gathering capabilities. UUVs could be programed to follow Norwegian and allied ships. Furthermore, the threat of underwater and surface level collisions increases with these new waterways, especially when many of the ships and submarines in the area are unmanned.

Norway’s concerns are by no means unwarranted. It has been reported that Norway’s military have spotted UUVs sailing by Russian submarines in the Barents Sea. Military.com also reports that Russia has also been funding research into the development of UAVs that can operate longer in an arctic environment.

Russia and Norway have not been known to be the greatest allies. While both nation’s military officials check in on each other on a weekly basis, Norway and Russia have not held high-level diplomatic discussions since 2013.

To make matters even more complicated, China has been planning on creating new shipping routes, which will most likely integrate UUVs to keep an eye on the ships.

Commercial UUVs are also a concern towards the overpopulation of maritime drones in the area. Energy companies operate UUVs in order to assist with maintenance at oil rigs and other energy related infrastructure.

With the overpopulation of the newly opened water ways, global warming has been a catalyst for Norway’s new security concerns. Norway has made plans to increase regulations in the areas, so that the country, and other ships and submarines in the area, can stay safe.