OptiBarrier is truly passive and adds zero underwater noise
Underwater security and environmental stewardship should not be in conflict. OptiBarrier delivers persistent, real time, wide area protection of critical underwater infrastructure with a sensing approach that is completely passive. There are no outgoing pings and no wet end electronics, so the system does not emit sound or electrical noise into the water. This keeps […]
The Unseen Drone Wall: Why Europe Needs an Underwater Layer and How OptiBarrier Delivers It
For months, headlines have focused on building “drone walls” in the air: radar meshes, patrols, and no‑fly envelopes designed to stop low‑cost UAVs coming from the east. That is necessary, but it is not sufficient. The most consequential vulnerabilities sit under the surface: subsea power interconnectors, data cables, pipelines, energy islands, ports, and naval bases. […]
Saab and OptiBarrier: Over-the-Horizon Protection for Critical Underwater Infrastructure.
The protection of critical underwater infrastructure has become a strategic priority. Pipelines, interconnectors, offshore wind farms, and subsea cables carry the lifeblood of modern economies, yet they remain vulnerable to both deliberate interference and unintentional damage. At Optics11, we developed OptiBarrier to meet this challenge with precision and reliability. Over-the-Horizon, Real-Time, 24/7 Detection Conventional monitoring […]
When a single cut divides continents
What the latest cable incident tells us, and how to fix it for good. The problem isn’t new. The response must be. Undersea infrastructure, telecom cables, power interconnectors, and pipelines, has become a front line of hybrid competition. Europe has already seen pipeline sabotage, cable damage, and a stream of “accidental” cuts. Each event turns […]
Poland Takes Action on Underwater Infrastructure Security – Why OptiBarrier is the Solution
When you think about national security, the first things that come to mind are probably borders, armed forces, and cybersecurity. But there’s another invisible frontline that has suddenly become one of the hottest topics in Europe: critical underwater infrastructure. Pipelines, power interconnectors, offshore wind farms, and subsea data cables are the lifelines of modern economies. […]
The Digital Networks Act (DNA) & subsea‑infrastructure security
A forward‑looking view for OptiBarrier partners and customers 1 What is the DNA? The European Commission has signalled its intent to consolidate and modernise telecoms legislation in a single “Digital Networks Act” (DNA), targeted for late 2025 adoption.While the final text is not yet public, the Commission’s scoping papers and recent stakeholder consultations (2024‑25) emphasise three strategic goals supplied […]
From Vulnerable to Vigilant: Protecting the Unseen Arteries of the Global Economy
Introduction: The New Undersea Battlefield: Why CUI Protection is the Foremost National and Economic Security Imperative The Invisible Arteries Under Threat Beneath the waves lies a vast, unseen network of infrastructure that forms the backbone of the global economy and modern society. This Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI)—comprising subsea fiber-optic cables, energy pipelines, and power interconnectors—is […]
OptiBarrier Launch: Immediate, Over-the-Horizon Threat Detection — 24/7
Optics11 today unveiled OptiBarrier®, a fibre-optic sensing curtain that deploys a distributed array of passive seabed hydrophone pods to provide continuous, real-time situational awareness over tens of kilometres, with no electronics in the wet end. By detecting, classifying and locating threats early, OptiBarrier buys navies, energy operators and infrastructure owners the precious minutes they need […]
Thales and Optics11 Equip Dutch Submarines
A New Era of Underwater Surveillance for the Netherlands Underwater surveillance is entering a new era as the Royal Netherlands Navy modernizes its submarine fleet. Central to this initiative is the development of the Orka-class submarines, set to replace Walrus-class vessels. A crucial component of this upgrade is the integration of advanced sonar technology to […]
Why Subsea Infrastructure Needs Better Monitoring
In a recent BBC article “Subsea fibre cables can ‘listen out’ for sabotage“, Chris Baraniuk discusses protecting underwater networks and subsea infrastructure. Optics11’s CEO, Paul Heiden gave his perspective on this important topic. In today’s digital world, underwater communication cables are the backbone of global connectivity. These cables run along the ocean floor, carry over […]
