Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security, published on 9 June 2025, if he will list all contracts placed by his Department with ECS Special Projects since 5 July 2024.

The Department has not awarded any contracts to Sonardyne or ECS Special Projects since 5 July 2024.

The Department currently has no live contracts with Sonardyne. However, the MOD has previously completed contracts with the company, such as those related to Diver Tracking and Detection. Sonardyne specialises in maritime security and holds specific contracts in this field, including a £67,691 agreement (active until 2024) for the procurement of a Diver Tracking System. Its Sentinel diver detection sonar is widely recognised and utilised for safeguarding naval bases and ships.

As part of their future strategy and increasing use of technology the Department is considering:

(i) Expanding port and submarine base protection

(ii) Leveraging AI-enabled anomaly detection on sonar feeds

(iii) Improving protection against hostile divers, swimmers, and underwater saboteurs

(iv) Integration into the wider Maritime Protection System for UK critical infrastructure