China unveils deep-sea cable cutter that can slice through world’s digital lifelines

China has unveiled an innovative technology that could shift the global balance of power at sea. The country now possesses a compact device capable of cutting undersea cables, posing a potential threat to critical communications infrastructure at unprecedented depths.

According to foreign media, this is the first time any nation has officially revealed the existence of such a device, raising concerns among Western countries, Caliber.Az reports.

No other nation is known to possess anything comparable.

The tool was developed by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) and the State Laboratory for Manned Deep-Sea Vehicles. Although China presents the device as intended for civilian purposes — such as “deep-sea rescue and mineral extraction”, — Western experts warn that the technology has significant military applications.

“The device is capable of cutting cables at depths of up to 4,000 meters, which is twice the maximum operating depth of current undersea communications infrastructure,” explained Professor Hu Haolong, the project’s lead engineer. Chinese authorities have made no secret that the device is designed to integrate with China’s advanced manned and unmanned submarines.

“The technological challenges in developing this tool were immense,” the developers said. “At a depth of 4,000 meters, water pressure exceeds 400 atmospheres. The device has a titanium-alloy body and segmented oil-sealed gaskets to prevent collapse under constant pressure. Instead of traditional blades, which are ineffective against steel-armoured cables, it uses a 150-mm diamond-coated grinding disc rotating at 1,600 RPM. This allows it to grind through steel while minimising disruption to seabed sediment.”

It is worth noting that submarine communication cables, shielded by layers of steel, rubber, and polymers, carry around 95 per cent of the world’s data traffic. Any attack on them could severely disrupt global communications.

By Tamilla Hasanova