U.S. Navy Lt. Cameron Winslow reported that the lead-covered telegraph cable seemed to weigh multiple tons and was difficult to remove from the ocean floor and cut due to unfavorable weather conditions.
“The rough waves caused the heavy boat to collide, shattering the planks and narrowly avoiding being crushed,” he said.
Winslow’s team eventually managed to sever a 46-meter (150-foot) section of the cable using a hacksaw, disrupting enemy communications. This action took place in 1898 during the Cuban campaign of the Spanish-American War. Even over a century later, undersea communication cables remain strategic targets during times of geopolitical tension.
On November 17 and 18 of this year, two undersea fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged, possibly due to sabotage, as stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Swedish authorities indicated that the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, in close proximity at the time, was of interest in the cable severing incident.
The current threats to undersea cables are influenced by geopolitical events such as Russia’s actions in Ukraine, China’s activities with Taiwan, and conflicts like the Israel-Gaza war, all of which have historically been primary targets.
These cables, comparable in thickness to a garden hose when laid deep in the ocean, handle 99% of international telecommunications traffic utilized by individuals, businesses, and governments. There are approximately 530 active undersea cable systems worldwide, covering over 850,000 miles.
A click on the World submarine cable map provides a clear visual representation of global connectivity and susceptibility to disruptions. These cables play a crucial role in facilitating financial transactions, government communications, voice calls, and data transmission over the Internet, amounting to trillions of dollars daily.
Dr. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, emphasized the vital importance of undersea cables to the global economy, making them a prime target for nations seeking to cause unrest.
While deliberate damage to undersea cables can have significant consequences due to the vast amount of global data they transmit, such attacks need to be sustained and public to be truly impactful. Kaushal mentioned that one-off incidents like the Baltic episode can be denied, but the economic threat behind them can still convey a strong diplomatic message.
Leaked documents from Edward Snowden revealed that major telecom companies provided British intelligence access to undersea cables, raising concerns about surveillance. Furthermore, a report by US cybersecurity firm Recorded Future suggested that Russia was closely monitoring its undersea cable system.
In 2015, the New York Times reported aggressive Russian naval activities near an undersea cable running from the North Sea to Northeast Asia, highlighting suspicions of various countries involved in cable disruptions.
Taiwan’s National Board of Audit reported multiple instances where foreign vessels damaged cables linking Taiwan to remote islands, possibly signaling intentional disruptions. These incidents included damage caused by fishing boats, cargo ships, and sand dredgers.
Instances like the ones in Taiwan underscore the potential impact of undersea cable disruptions on daily internet connectivity and communication services, as seen in the slow internet connections and dropped calls resulting from damaged cables.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels denied targeting Red Sea cables after disruptions to major communication networks, adding to the complex landscape of undersea cable incidents.
Recorded Future data shows over 100 undersea cable failures annually, primarily due to accidental damage from activities like fishing and anchoring. Repair costs for undersea cables can be substantial, reaching up to $40,000 per mile, with transatlantic cables costing hundreds of millions to install.
There are concerns of Chinese influence over global undersea cable networks, potentially leading to increased control over data flows. As state actors continue to navigate the delicate balance of causing chaos, the future of undersea cables remains uncertain.
Source: www.theguardian.com
