During Exercise Bold Machina 24, NATO Special Forces divers tested underwater sensors that may be used to protect critical underwater infrastructure (CUI) in the future. Dive teams from thirteen nations participated in the exercise.
The exercise was held in La Spezia, Italy, in November and co-hosted by Allied Special Forces Command (SOFCOM) and NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE). The divers were challenged to sneak past a variety of industry-developed detection systems in a “man-versus-machine” challenge.
Scientists from CMRE also showcased artificial intelligence (AI) detection systems and virtual reality tools designed to identify and respond to suspicious undersea activity.
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Watch a video of the exercise that was released this week below. Footage from the competition includes divers and detection systems, as well as interviews with US Captain Kurt Muhler from SOFCOM Maritime Development Division, Lieutenant Commander George Kalinoc from the Bulgarian Maritime Special Forces, and Alberto Tremori, a scientist at CMRE.
The picture at the top is a still from the video above (all footage by NATO).
Also read: VIDEO: NATO trains to protect underwater infrastructure
