Chinese scientists have unveiled a deep-sea device capable of cutting any underwater cables and enabling China to disrupt global communications, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Saturday.
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“China has unveiled a compact deep-sea cable cutting device capable of damaging the world’s most secure underwater communication and power transmission lines,” the article says.
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It is noted that this is the first time that any country has officially disclosed that it has a device capable of disrupting the operation of critical underwater networks.
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According to the SCMP, the tool was developed by the China Shipbuilding Research Center (CSSRC) for cutting reinforced cables coated with layers of steel, rubber and polymer sheaths. The device is capable of cutting even the most reinforced wires at a depth of up to 4 thousand meters.
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The publication points out that although the device was created to carry out civilian rescue operations and mining on the seabed, the potential for dual-use of the instrument may cause concern to other countries, since, in fact, with its help, China could destabilize global communications during a geopolitical crisis.
According to the South China Morning Post, the device was developed by a team led by engineer Hu Haolong, who wrote in an article published in the Chinese journal Mechanical Engineering that when creating the cutting tool design, scientists overcame several serious technical problems that arise at great depth.
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In addition, the newspaper notes that traditional blades of such devices cannot handle steel reinforced cables, and Hu Haolong’s team found a solution in using a 150-millimeter diamond-coated grinding wheel rotating at 1,600 revolutions per minute, which is enough to destroy steel. The instrument can be mounted on underwater vehicles and operated using robotic arms, even in conditions of zero visibility.
