French Navy to Operate up to 6000 M Depth in Preparation for 'Seabed Warfare'

The French Ministry of Defense has put forth a strategy aimed at broadening the capabilities of anticipation and action of the French Navy up to 6,000 m depth.

The French Navy already has mine warfare and hydro-oceanography capabilities contributing to the control of the seabed. But to expand its investigation and action capacities down to 6,000 meters deep, France is going to equip itself with deep-sea exploratory military capacities, made up of underwater drones (AUV – Autonomous underwater vehicle ) and robots ( ROV – Remotely operated vehicle ).

Maritime areas are governed by a body of international standards, foremost of which is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This text stipulates that the rights of States diminish as one moves away from the coast. In recent years, some States have however developed extensive interpretations of the convention, for the purpose of appropriating resources (mining, biological or fossil) or maritime areas with regard to the geopolitical situation of the area.

Faced with these assertions of power, the resurgence of hybrid actions in the seabed and the emergence of the concept of “seabed warfare” (mastery of the seabed), the protection of France's strategic interests in this space is a decisive issue to: 

1. Guarantee the freedom of action of our forces in the face of submarine surveillance and interdiction strategies potentially deployed from the seabed;

2. Protect French underwater infrastructures such as communication and energy transport cables (electricity, gas, oil);

3. Protect French resources. The French maritime territory is home to biodiversity and resources that should be known but above all protected;

4. be ready to act and pose a credible threat in the face of diverse, evolving and hybrid modes of action

The Seabed Control Operations (OMFM) aim to integrate these new challenges into the nation's defense strategy. This doctrine will be articulated around three functions “to know”, “to supervise” and “to act”.

Fully in line with the ambition for the deep seabed, driven by the "France 2030" investment plan, this strategy of the Ministry of the Armed Forces will support the development of innovation and the emergence of a national sector responding to its needs in the great ocean depths.