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Last week, Germany's armament secretary and the head of the country's navy were in Ottawa to meet Canadian navy and defence officials and discuss their plans to introduce maritime drones — both surface and subsurface.

"It turns out that this is another area of potential co-operation with great potential," Jens Plötner, the armament secretary, told CBC News.

Remotely piloted underwater vehicles are seen as crucial in protecting the subsurface infrastructure, but how to do it and who is responsible is a matter of active debate.

The Yantar, a Russian research ship that Western intelligence believes is mapping the spiderweb of undersea cables and infrastructure, keeps popping up — sometimes unexpectedly — in several locations.

The ship's habit of loitering near undersea cables — particularly in November and December 2024 — caught the attention of Finnish and Swedish authorities.

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Peter Sandwell, Sweden's state secretary of defence, was also in Ottawa late last week meeting with Canadian defence officials.

He said his country, which is NATO's newest member, has been tracking potential threats in the Baltic Sea.

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A handful of Canadian companies are at the cutting edge of marine drone technology. For example Seamor Marine Ltd. produces drones used for aquaculture, underwater inspection of infrastructure and general underwater exploration.

Plötner said Germany is not building its own drones but "wants to get there."

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