<
https://theconversation.com/chinas-new-underwater-tool-cuts-deep-exposing-vulnerability-of-vital-network-of-subsea-cables-251877>
"Chinese researchers have unveiled a new deep-sea tool capable of cutting
through the world’s most secure subsea cables − and it has many in the West
feeling a little jittery.
The development, first revealed in February 2025 in the Chinese-language
journal
Mechanical Engineering, was touted as a tool for civilian salvage and
seabed mining. But the ability to sever communications lines 13,000 feet (4,000
meters) below the sea’s surface − far beyond the operational range of most
existing infrastructure − means that the tool can be used for other purposes
with far-reaching implications for global communications and security.
That is because undersea cables sustain the world’s international internet
traffic, financial transactions and diplomatic exchanges. Recent incidents of
cable damage near Taiwan and in northern Europe have already raised concerns of
these systems’ vulnerabilities − and suspicions about the role of state-linked
actors.
The growing sophistication and openness of underwater technology evidenced by
the latest news from China suggest that undersea infrastructure may play a
larger role in future strategic competition. Indeed, this development adds a
new layer to the broader challenge of securing critical infrastructure amid
expanding technological reach and the rise of so called “gray zone” tactics –
antagonisms that take place between direct war and peace."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
