The March 2025 issue of Foreign Policy features an article titled “Undersea Cable Vulnerabilities and Strategic Responses” by Peter Dombrowski[1] and Bruce Jones[2]. The authors discuss the rising security risks tied to the world’s reliance on undersea cables and stress the need for a coordinated global strategy to protect these critical assets from geopolitical threats.

Undersea cables, crucial for global data transmission and economic stability, are increasingly vulnerable to sabotage, particularly from Russia and China. Recent incidents in the Baltic Sea and Red Sea highlight the escalating risks to this critical infrastructure, which supports over $10 trillion in daily financial transactions and U.S. military communications. Experts warn of a potential era of undersea conflict, with Russia actively targeting these cables as part of its naval strategy, while China’s involvement remains more limited due to its reliance on global financial flows.

To counter these threats, experts propose three strategies: enhancing resilience through rapid repair capabilities, improving detection technologies to deter attacks, and employing covert countermeasures against hybrid warfare tactics. The U.S. must streamline its approach to securing undersea cables, potentially through the National Security Council, while fostering international cooperation among major economies reliant on this infrastructure.

The G7 and other coalitions can play pivotal roles in establishing protective measures, but swift action is essential to maintain a competitive edge against adversaries. As the stakes rise with the proliferation of undersea technology and infrastructure, safeguarding these cables is critical for national and global security.

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