Executive Summary

An estimated 95-99% of the world’s data is transmitted via underwater telecommunications cables, which are increasingly at risk from purveyors of hybrid warfare and geopolitical competitors. As part of strategic power struggles, state actors like China and Russia appear to be increasingly targeting these cables, which are essential for international communication, military coordination, and finance. The vulnerability of undersea infrastructure in general is brought to light by events such as the cutting of fibre-optic lines in the Baltic Sea just last month and the explosion of the Nord Stream Pipeline in 2022. Stronger legal frameworks, increased international cooperation, and dedicated defensive national assets-satellites, subsea sensors, and the like-are needed to safeguard vital submarine infrastructure as these threats intensify.

Images Sourced From: Russian MOD, OpenStreetMap, ForcesNews, NATO