As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, a battlefield beneath the waves intensifies. Seabed warfare has become a critical domain of modern geotech conflict. With society’s increasing reliance on undersea infrastructure such as communication cables, energy pipelines, and other vital seabed infrastructure, nations are now vying for control of the ocean floor. This new form of warfare threatens the security of global connectivity and could reshape the geopolitical landscape in profound ways. Seabed warfare encompasses a range of military operations that target undersea infrastructure. These activities include everything from disrupting communication cables and energy pipelines to sabotaging surveillance networks and military installations placed on or near the ocean floor. In an age of unprecedented technological advancements, nations are increasingly aware of the ocean floor’s importance, both strategically and economically. With modern deep-sea technology advancing rapidly, the scope of seabed warfare has expanded from rudimentary cable-cutting and censorship tactics to sophisticated operations that involve surveillance, reconnaissance, and even cyber warfare.
Seabed warfare in a new era of geotech conflicts (Samuel Bashfield, Observer Research Foundation)
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