The Daily Populous Sunday March 23rd, 2025 morning edition
Authored by scmp.com and submitted by marketrent

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.

TheDal on March 23rd, 2025 at 02:41 UTC »

Was this considered something challenging? It strikes me as quite mundane.

Socrathustra on March 23rd, 2025 at 01:10 UTC »

To clarify, I hate Musk, but isn't this sort of thing likely to put more power in the hands of people with strong satellite internet infrastructure? Ie, Starlink.

TheForkisTrash on March 23rd, 2025 at 01:04 UTC »

Attacking civilian infrastructure. Such global leaders. Half the countries in the world could probably cut a line. Try defending one if you want to be a leader.