While NATO stages symbolic “green” patrols, China and Russia are preparing to cripple global communications by targeting undersea cables—and the West remains alarmingly unprepared.
At a Glance
- Undersea cables transmit 99% of transoceanic communications and $10 trillion daily
- NATO held a symbolic “green vessel” exercise while sabotage threats escalate
- China and Russia are actively pursuing undersea cable disruption capabilities
- Security at most cable landing points is minimal, despite critical infrastructure status
- Experts call for military protection, stricter governance, and less reliance on adversarial tech firms
Green PR vs. Real Threats
On May 19, NATO members and over 20 industry groups gathered in Scheveningen Harbour to showcase an eco-friendly vessel designed to detect threats to underwater cables. But for many defense observers, the move resembled performance art more than policy.
As Rear Admiral Paul Flos warned during the event, “The question is not if a conflict will begin—but when.” Yet while NATO spotlights sustainability, adversaries like China and Russia are investing in disruption and reconnaissance. The EstLink 2 and multiple Baltic telecom cables have already been targets of sabotage, prompting limited, symbolic responses such as the “Baltic Sentry” patrol mission.
Strategic Infrastructure or Sitting Duck?
The scale of the risk is staggering: undersea cables handle 99% of international data and facilitate trillions in financial exchanges daily. As a CCP-backed outlet candidly put it, “undersea cable laying is a battlefield where information can be obtained.”
Yet cable landing sites remain poorly guarded, with few standards for access or maintenance. Meanwhile, China’s telecom companies have gained substantial control over cable manufacturing and deployment, embedding the threat deep within the global supply chain.
Tweet: Cables vulnerable, leadership distracted
Private Sector on the Front Lines
In a bizarre twist, tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Google now manage much of the world’s cable infrastructure, effectively outsourcing national security to private firms. While these companies have the resources to build and monitor cables, they lack the legal mandate and military capabilities to protect them.
Adding to the danger, anchor damage from commercial ships remains the leading cause of cable failure, a threat that’s both preventable and underregulated.
Urgent Calls for Action
What’s needed isn’t another showcase of scanning tech—but robust, enforceable protocols for undersea infrastructure protection. Experts are calling for military escorts along vulnerable cable routes, hardened landing stations, and tighter controls over which countries and companies can build or service this infrastructure.
Until Western governments treat undersea cables as strategic assets, they remain ripe targets. A coordinated attack could paralyze a nation’s economy, halt communications, and shatter public trust—all without firing a single missile.
As Rear Admiral Flos said, “If it works here, it works everywhere.” But so far, the only thing working is our enemies’ advantage.
