Belgian Special Forces Stage CUI Security Exercise

Belgium has been testing the security of its critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) in the North Sea with the help of members of its Special Forces Group.

As per a recent press statement on La Défense, the Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) website, special forces operatives carried out manoeuvres simulating different types of espionage and sabotage, with the aim of revealing potential security gaps and identifying areas for improvement.

The precise details of the operations, which are understood to have included undersea data cables, power cables connecting offshore wind farms, and fuel pipelines, are being kept confidential.

However, the results of the simulated raids, which were designed to flag up potential vulnerabilities and security gaps, will be circulated to government departments and the relevant civil partners, including Belgium’s domestic electricity grid operator Elia.

The MoD statement noted: “The regular interest shown by non-NATO countries in mapping and even damaging these infrastructures underlines the need for robust security.”

Belgium’s national waters are continuously monitored by the Maritime Information Hub (MIK), part of the MoD’s Naval Operations Command based in Zeebrugge. It aggregates information supplied by the Belgian Navy, maritime police, customs and federal public service mobility sources and coordinates operations in the Belgian North Sea.

• You can read further details on the Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) news website