The system has been installed at Italy’s Navy test site in La Spezia to guard pipelines and cables.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched a new platform, named Deep, to protect underwater infrastructure from intrusion and disruption. The first system has been set up at the Italian Navy’s Naval Support and Experimentation Centre in La Spezia, where it will be tasked with safeguarding seabed networks, including energy pipelines and communications links.

Conceived as a modular and scalable solution, Deep brings together fixed sensors, autonomous vehicles and a command suite designed to work in demanding and contested waters. An early‑warning layer using hydrophone arrays can pick up potential threats at ranges of up to 100 kilometres, while autonomous underwater vehicles roam to map the seabed and probe anomalies using acoustic, optical and environmental sensors.

At the heart of the architecture is an Underwater Management System that fuses incoming data and supports rapid decision‑making. Artificial intelligence is embedded to analyse sensor feeds and recognise targets automatically, increasing detection speed and reducing false alarms. The system is built with cyber resilience in mind, helping operators maintain continuity of service even under hostile conditions.

Deep also interfaces with unmanned surface craft and advanced anti‑drone detectors, allowing coverage to be extended above and below the waterline and enabling coordinated responses across domains. Designed for both civilian and defence applications, it can be configured to protect national infrastructure or support naval missions.

Fincantieri says the technology builds on its own research and development and on collaborations with Italian small and medium‑sized enterprises and universities. The deployment in La Spezia marks a step towards wider adoption as governments and operators seek to reinforce the security of critical subsea lifelines.