A 2,017-ton German submarine appeared off the northern tip of Scotland during a recent military exercise, giving British commandos a staging platform to reach shore by inflatable boat, scale cliffs, and direct the guns of a 401-foot Portuguese frigate at targets inland. The drill showed how allied forces coordinate covert landings from submarines in challenging coastal zones.

The exercise brought together a mix of allied military units, combining submarine operations with direct cliff assaults in a realistic training scenario. Scenarios like this are becoming more frequent as NATO focuses on submarine-launched landing operations.

Separately, the Australian Naval Institute highlighted problems about vulnerable procurement networks underpinning nuclear submarine programs, a warning that creates new urgency to long-term procurement planning for Australia's future submarine fleet. Analysts say reliable sourcing will be critical as Australia works toward standing up its submarine capability.