OLD-FASHIONED ANSWER TO SUBS’ RADIO SILENCE

The breakthrough, using a principle discovered by Samuel Morse in the 19th century, could revolutionise communication in Arctic exploration, the oil industry and defence.

Currently, despite massive advances in wireless technology, radio signals can only be sent through water at very low frequencies, meaning the transmitting equipment has to be very large and cannot fit on board a submarine. Wireless Fibre Systems, based in Livingston, West Lothian, has devised a revolutionary technique which overcomes the problem.

The discovery could have significant commercial and military uses and could create up to 100 jobs.

Chief executive Brendan Hyland said: “What we have done is to develop a technique which actually dates back to the 1840s when it was first recognised by Samuel Morse as a way to send a radio signal through water. We think that across the environmental, oil and gas, and military applications, there is a market there worth several billions of dollars.”

Mr Hyland believes that the major commercial application is in communication with unmanned undersea vehicles used in climate research and oil exploration.

At present, radio messages can only be sent from naval headquarters to submarines. Two-way conversations are only possible if the boat is on the surface or near large seabed aerials connected to a land base by cable.