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China brandishes cutter for snipping deep-sea cables China has unveiled a compact device for cutting deep-sea cables, introducing a potential new dimension in underwater warfare. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China has unveiled a deep-sea cable-cutting device capable of slicing through the world’s most fortified undersea communication and power cables at depths of up to 4,000 meters. Built by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) in collaboration with the State Key Laboratory of Deep-Sea Manned Vehicles, the device is designed for use with China’s sophisticated submersibles, including the Fendouzhe and Haidou series. While officially presented as a tool for civilian salvage and seabed mining, the device clearly has dual-use potential. The tool utilizes a diamond-coated grinding wheel spinning at 1,600 revolutions per minute, mounted on a submersible-compatible platform with a 1-kilowatt motor, to cut through steel-armored cables that carry approximately 95% of the world’s data. Its titanium shell and pressure-resistant seals allow operation in extreme depths, with robotic arms enabling use in low-visibility conditions. The disclosure, pu…

Deep-sea cable cutting can be a weapon of deterrence, RETN CEO says But the two largest marine powers, China and the United States, were not among those countries. Advertisement Yet, given that cable cuts have been mostly accidental so far, the real power of cable cutter technology is in its psychological effect as a tool of hybrid warfare , according to Tony O’Sullivan, CEO of global internet service provider RETN. “It does not have quite the same devastating impact with a single use, but it is exactly like a nuclear weapon in a sense that it is not the actual use of it, [but] the threat of the use of it is the bigger issue,” O’Sullivan said in Hong Kong. Advertisement “It is about creating an unease in a population with the threat that something might actually happen, and therefore disturbing their normal operations of government or political system. “I do not see the actual idea of cable cuts as the threat. I see the threat to the internet more coming from naivety about network design.” South China Morning Post

"Subsea Cable Cutting Is Like Nuclear Deterrence," Internet CEO Warns ... Communication cable laid at the bottom of the sea [File Photo] The vulnerability of submarine communication cables is emerging as a growing strategic concern in global geopolitics, with industry leaders warning that the real impact of emerging deep-sea sabotage capabilities may lie in psychological deterrence rather than physical disruption. The chief executive of global internet service provider RETN, Tony O’Sullivan, has said that technologies capable of cutting deep-sea cables should be understood less for their destructive capacity and more for their role in shaping perception and uncertainty during periods of tension. Speaking in Hong Kong, he compared the strategic effect of such capabilities to nuclear deterrence, arguing that their significance is rooted in the threat of use rather than actual deployment. O’Sullivan said the concept of cable-cutting technology does not need to result in large-scale damage to be effective in conflict scenarios. “It does not have quite the same devastating impact with a single use, but it is exactly like a nuclear weapon in a sense that it is not the actual use of it, …

The AI boom and geopolitics are rewiring Asia's oceans “THE SEABED is a battlefield,” Australia’s defence minister told a room full of admirals and generals in Singapore at the end of May. Richard Marles, citing several subsea cables that have beencut in the Baltic Seaand around Taiwan in recent years, joined 16 of his counterparts in announcing plans to protect thesubmarine tendrilsof the digital world: the nearly 700 communications cables which mostly lie exposed on the floor of the world’s oceans. Governments and armed forces in Asia have only recently awoken to the importance of subsea cables. Some of their fears of subterfuge may be overblown; to date, no conclusive evidence has been shared to suggest that the cuts highlighted by Mr Marles are sabotage. But they are right about the vulnerability of these arteries of commerce. And the private firms which build and operate almost all of the world’s subsea cables are not waiting for governments to better secure them. They are increasingly taking steps on their own to avoid Asia’s most contested waters. Asia and Australia are now connected to Europe by fibre-optic cables which tend to hug the coastlines of the Asian continent b…

Deep-sea cable cutting can be a weapon of deterrence like nukes, RETN CEO says The vulnerability of submarine cables during conflicts has made seabed infrastructure a fresh concern for global communication and maritime safety, prompting 17 Asian and European nations to step up collaboration on defence strategies in recent months. But the two largest marine powers, China and the United States, were not among those countries. From the blow-up of the Nord Stream pipeline to the development of new technology such as China’s deep-sea cable cutter, the seabed has become the...

China's New Underwater Tool Cuts Deep, Exposing Vulnerability of Vital ... April 11, 2025 China’s New Underwater Tool Cuts Deep, Exposing Vulnerability of Vital Network of Subsea Cables By John Calabrese Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp World map of submarine communication cables. cable data by Greg Mahlknecht (KML file released under GPLv3) as of 2015-07-21, world map by Openstreetmap contributors [cable data by Greg Mahlknecht , map by Openstreetmap contributorsOpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons] John Calabrese , American University 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…

China's new underwater tool cuts deep, exposing vulnerability of vital ... Laying an undersea fiber-optic cable at Arrietara beach near the Spanish village of Sopelana. Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images 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 u…

"China Can Cut the Internet Tomorrow": Diamond-Coated Device Severs ... News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right. Recent advancements in deep-sea technology have transformed both global communication and military strategies, with China at the forefront of these developments. The introduction of a novel cable-cutting device, capable of operating at depths up to 13,000 feet, has placed the spotlight on China’s innovative capabilities and raised international concerns. This device, designed for use with advanced submersibles, has the potential to impact 95% of the world’s data transmission, presenting both opportunities and risks. As global stakeholders evaluate these implications, understanding the scope of this technological advancement becomes crucial. China has recently introduced a groundbreaking cable-cutting device, designed to operate at depths reaching 13,000 feet. Developed by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre, this tool is intended for use with state-of-the-art submersibles, such as the Fendouzhe and Haidou series. These submersibles play a key role in maintaining global communication networks by targeting cables …

Submarine cable cuts are deterrence weapons like nukes, RETN CEO warns Share: Copied Listen to Article Audio Loading voice… 0.85× 1× 1.15× 1.3× 1.5× Synopsis RETN CEO Tony O'Sullivan says deep-sea cable-cutting technology mirrors nuclear deterrence — the threat of use, not actual use, is the weapon. Meanwhile, China and the US are absent from a 17-nation seabed defence coalition, exposing a critical gap in global undersea infrastructure protection. Key Takeaways Tony O'Sullivan , CEO of RETN , compared deep-sea cable-cutting technology to nuclear weapons, arguing its deterrent threat outweighs its physical destructive potential. 17 Asian and European nations have stepped up collaboration on seabed defence strategies in recent months, but China and the United States are not among them. Most submarine cable disruptions to date have been accidental; deliberate sabotage remains rare but its psychological impact on governments and populations is significant. The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and China 's reported development of deep-sea cable-cutter technology have elevated the seabed as a new front in geopolitical competition. O'Sullivan identified 'naivety about network design' — not…

China's Underwater Power Play: The PRC's New Subsea Cable ... - CSIS Photo: ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images Commentary byErin L. MurphyandMatt Pearl Published April 4, 2025 Over the March 22 weekend, it was reported that the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) and its affiliated State Key Laboratory of Deep-sea Manned Vehicles havedeveloped a shipable to cut cable lines at depths of up to 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). Though subsea cable ships are outfitted with equipment to repair damaged or cut cables, the record depths to which this ship can go and the increasing tension in maritime areas with critical subsea infrastructure suggest that China has strengthened a tool in its arsenal, whether for intentionally cutting cables or supporting “marine resource development,” as alleged by Chinese scientists. In the great power competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), subsea cables have emerged as critical theater, given that they are indispensable to international communications and are vulnerable to deniable intentional disruption; accidental cuts; surveillance, particularly at cable landing sites; and other ri…

New undersea cable cutter risks Internet's backbone Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav A Chinese ship has tested a new device capable of slicing through submarine data cables thousands of meters beneath the ocean surface. That demonstration may exacerbate security concerns over a spate of suspected sabotage incidents targeting undersea communications and power cables from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The trial took place at a depth of 11,483 feet (3,500 meters) during a deep-sea science expedition involving the Chinese research ship named Haiyang Dizhi 2, according to the South China Morning Post . That ship is equipped with a 150-ton crane, a 10-kilometer fiber optic winch, and a helicopter landing platform. It has shown the capability to deploy deep-sea remotely operated vehicles in previous missions . The South China Morning Post cited a report in the China Science Daily, an official, Chinese-language news publication run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The latter claimed that “the sea trial has bridged the ‘last mile’ from deep-sea equipment development…