While tensions are at their height on the Ukrainian file, and the terms of the French withdrawal from Mali could be formalized by the end of the week, the Minister of Armies, Florence Parly, maintained, Monday, February 14, the presentation of its “ministerial strategy for controlling the seabed”. This meeting planned for several months intended to position France in an area where strategic competition is increasingly sharp.
“The seabed is a new terrain of power relations that we must master in order to be ready to act, to defend ourselves and, if necessary, to take the initiative, or at least to retaliate”, underlined the Minister in particular. The strategy unveiled Monday evening was not associated with budget announcements. But the armies now believe that it is time to push the fires on this area where France was until then relatively absent.
For several years, the United States, China, and Russia, as well as countries such as India and Japan, have been developing advanced capabilities. The three main world military powers in particular all have – or are in the process of being developed – “fixed listening systems” in the waters of the globe, in particular off their coasts. China’s program is called “The Underwater Great Wall”, Russia’s, “Harmony”. While the maturity of the Chinese and Russian programs is difficult to measure, the United States has had an operational system called “ISSU” (Integrated Undersea Surveillance System) since 1990.
At this stage, France does not wish to embark on this race, at least not in the public elements of the strategy presented on Monday. The challenge for the armed forces is rather to equip themselves with robots or underwater drones capable of operating at depths of up to 6,000 meters, such as those used by the French Research Institute for the exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), for oceanographic research purposes.
“Dronization of the seabed”
Today, the national navy has only two robots of its own, which cannot go beyond 2,000 meters. “Three quarters of the seabed are located at depths greater than 3,000 meters. If we manage to acquire these new means, this will allow us to have access to 97% of the seabed.considers Rear-Admiral Jean-Marc Durandau, responsible for mastering the seabed at the naval staff.
In general, French military means in this area are limited. The military programming law (2019-2025) has above all favored cyber, intelligence, space, and shifted the programs concerning “seabed warfare” (the “war of the seabed”). The best known, called “Slam-F”, concerns “mine warfare” and the securing of submarine channels. It should start in 2023. The second, called “CHOF”, endowed with 300 million euros, aims to improve, from 2025, the mapping of the seabed.
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