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The new cable cutter, developed by the China Shipbuilding Research Center, is designed for use on advanced submarines such as the Fengdou and Haidou series. The device is capable of cutting armored steel and polymer communications cables, which play a critical role in maintaining or disrupting the global communications network, which accounts for 95% of the world’s data transmission.
The Chinese deep-sea cable cutter can cut cables up to 2.4 inches thick at depths of nearly 4,000 meters. (Source: Sustainability Time)
The device is equipped with a diamond-coated grinding wheel that rotates at 1,600 rpm, allowing it to tear steel cables without damaging the seabed. The titanium alloy body and oil-filled shock absorber system allow the device to withstand extreme pressure on the seabed. Controlled by a robotic manipulator with an advanced positioning system, the device ensures high precision even in low visibility conditions.
The device is equipped with a 1-kilowatt motor and an 8:1 gear ratio, which balances performance and energy efficiency. Although designed for civilian applications such as underwater salvage and deep-sea mining, it raises international security concerns. The ability to cut cables in strategic locations, such as near Guam, could seriously jeopardize global communications.
China’s development of underwater technology is part of a broader strategy to expand its infrastructure and influence in the world’s oceans. With the world’s largest submarine fleet, China has access to vast swaths of the ocean.
New cable-cutting equipment, operated from hard-to-detect unmanned platforms, offers a tactical advantage in targeting strategically important chokepoints.
Although Chinese scientists claim the device is designed for “marine resource exploitation,” its military potential should not be underestimated.
Tests have shown that the device can cut cables up to 6.5 cm thick.
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