Innovations in Naval Warfare: Drones, Patrol Ships, and Legal Challenges

NATO conducted a drill, Exercise Bold Machina 2024, to test underwater sensors designed to protect critical infrastructure by attempting to bypass them with divers and drones. The exercise, held in Italy, aimed to evaluate the detection capabilities of various sensors and provide insights into signature management underwater. The initiative is partly driven by the threat to infrastructure highlighted by the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for multinational cooperation in defending key underwater structures against threats from Russia and terrorist organizations.