A Chinese ship has tested a new device capable of slicing through undersea data cables thousands of meters beneath the ocean surface. This demonstration may exacerbate security concerns over a spate of suspected sabotage incidents targeting subsea communications and power cables from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

The trial, conducted at a depth of 11,483 feet during a deep-sea science expedition involving the Chinese research ship Haiyang Dizhi 2, has shown the capability to deploy deep-sea remotely operated vehicles in previous missions. The ship is equipped with a 150-ton crane and a 10-kilometer fiber optic winch.

This is the latest of multiple dual-use technologies for cutting undersea cables developed by Chinese military and civilian organizations over the years, including People’s Liberation Army naval organizations filing patents for cable-cutting tools and Lishui University developing a cable-cutting device that could be towed behind a vessel for emergency use. Such technology also debuts at a time when an increasing number of Chinese-registered ships have been involved in damaging subsea data cables across the world.

The submarine cable-cutting technology is reportedly designed to cut subsea cables at maximum depths of 13,123 feet and relies on an electro-hydrostatic actuator consisting of a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, and a control unit. This compact device enables a diamond-coated grinding wheel to exert enough force to cut through undersea cables armored with layers of steel, rubber, and polymer.

Such developments could have far-reaching implications for global internet infrastructure security and geopolitical tensions involving China’s maritime activities.