Not long ago a Russian Kilo-class submarine slipped into view off Sicily under NATO escort. It wasn’t a shadowy legend this time but a real vessel cruising beneath the waves.

Spotting a sub in those waters feels like more than a stunt, doesn’t it? It speaks to a game of signals that plays out deep underwater yet echoes above the waves all the way to our Maltese shores.

At nearly the same moment, we saw a shift on the surface too. Washington has started tying market access to heftier defense bills in Europe. You buy more jets, you pay in advance, you carry more risk. And those jets may come without the keys to release their nuclear payloads. It’s a strange split between those who hold the code and those who don’t.

Take a glance at our neighbours. Some are rushing new drones, others discuss whether to host US bombs beyond 2030. A few talk about renting American deterrence while others build their own anti-air systems. Every move slides risk a little closer to the Central Med, waiting to spill over.

On the economic front the price of Brent flirted with ninety-nine dollars after a Houthi drone struck in the Red Sea. Tankers bent their course toward the Central Mediterranean, the very lanes which envelope the Maltese islands and which we have to, somehow, patrol.

Insurers are hiking premiums and every extra five dollars a barrel bites into refinery profits in Sicily and across the way. Closer to home Italy’s steel mill closure threw military steel plans into disarray. Refit delays at carriers and subs could stretch on for months.

Then there’s the migration puzzle. Satellite shots show large camps south of Sabha ready to receive people by the tens of thousands. If that wave swings toward Malta and Sicily, our armed forces and rescue teams will be again tested on border control and humanitarian aid at the same time. We can almost see the Maltese government juggling energy shortages, spoofed GPS signals and sudden refugee flows.

Malta has to step up. Through our previous shared opinions, we’be been pushing for Malta to send drones and cyber kits into EU missions. It makes sense to argue for a shared fund so smaller countries aren’t squeezed by these tariff tactics.

Imagine a national centre fusing drone and satellite feeds to give us a clear picture of the Central Med. Joint drills with Italy and France will sharpen our skills and show that we’re a partner to be taken seriously.

In the end the pressure in our sea is more about choices than capacity. If we plan ahead, reach out to friends and build our own networks, we won’t just chase change. We’ll shape it. And that’s a strategy Malta can stand behind.

#CentralMed #MaltaSecurity #HybridWarfare #EnergySecurity #MigrationReady #MaritimeAwareness