From the South China Morning Post, March 22:
Beijing now has the power to disrupt global communications after scientists revealed a device that can sever undersea cables
A compact, deep-sea, cable-cutting device, capable of severing the world’s most fortified underwater communication or power lines, has been unveiled by China – and it could shake up global maritime power dynamics.
The revelation marks the first time any country has officially disclosed that it has such an asset, capable of disrupting critical undersea networks.
The tool, which is able to cut lines at depths of up to 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) – twice the maximum operational range of existing subsea communication infrastructure – has been designed specifically for integration with China’s advanced crewed and uncrewed submersibles like the Fendouzhe, or Striver, and the Haidou series.
Developed by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) and its affiliated State Key Laboratory of Deep-sea Manned Vehicles, the device targets armoured cables – layered with steel, rubber and polymer sheaths – that underpin 95 per cent of global data transmission.
While it was created as a tool for civilian salvage and seabed mining, the dual-use potential of the tool could send alarm bells ringing for other nations.
For example, cutting cables near strategic chokepoints such as Guam, which is a linchpin of the US military’s second island chain, a defence strategy used to contain China, the tool could essentially destabilise global communications during a geopolitical crisis.
The cutting tool’s design has overcome several formidable technical challenges arising from the deep, according to the team led by engineer Hu Haolong in a peer-reviewed paper published in Chinese-language journal Mechanical Engineer on February 24.
At 4,000 metres, water pressure exceeds 400 atmospheres. The device’s titanium alloy shell and oil-compensated seals prevent implosion, even under sustained use.
Traditional blades also falter against steel-reinforced cables. The solution, according to Hu and his colleagues, was a 150mm (six-inch) diamond-coated grinding wheel spinning at 1,600rpm – enough force to shatter steel while minimising marine sediment disturbance....
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