China

China has presented a device capable of cutting reinforced undersea cables at a depth of up to 4000 meters.

This is the first time such technologies have been disclosed publicly. A photo of the cutter was published by the South China Morning Post.

The device can be used with both manned and unmanned underwater vehicles.

The development was carried out by the China Ship Scientific Research Center in cooperation with the State Deep Sea Manned Submarine Laboratory.

The cutter is designed for armored cables protected by layers of steel, rubber and polymers – these are the lines that provide 95% of global data transmission.

Translation from Chinese: “An electric device for deep-sea cable cutting. Cutting test in a water tank”. Source: South China Morning Post

Formally, it is stated that the device is intended for civilian purposes and rescue operations.

However, its potential as a tool of military and economic influence is alarming to analysts.

This technology can be used to disable communication in strategically important locations.

Recently, the issue of damaged undersea cables in Europe has been gaining more and more attention due to their importance for communications, economy, and security.

In 2023, the Swedish government claimed that the undersea telecommunications cable connecting the country to Estonia was damaged by an “external force.”

Illustration of a submarine cable

In 2024, the Finnish company Cinia reported problems with its communication cable running under the Baltic Sea. In the same year, a damaged undersea communication cable was discovered between Lithuania and Sweden after a similar incident between Finland and Germany.

In February 2025, another undersea cable between Finland and Germany was discovered in the Baltic Sea.