The UK’s multi-role ocean surveillance ship RFA Proteus was spotted in the Sound, and setting sail for the Baltic Sea this evening.
The ship’s mission is to counter the growing threat to British and European undersea cables, pipelines, and critical underwater infrastructure.
The Proteus is able to serve as a mothership for a wide array of remotely operated and autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and also functions as a floating testbed for new technologies.
The ship’s cutting-edge systems, including a multibeam echo sounder and UUVs, help map and monitor the seabed, enhancing the ability to identify and investigate any suspicious irregularities in critical undersea infrastructure.
The crew of Proteus consists of 26 RFA officers and sailors, along with 60 specialised Royal Navy service members tasked with managing the mission-related undersea surveillance, survey, and combat systems.
