Germany lacks: 17 states decide agreements to protect submarine cables

On the outskirts of the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore, 17 states from Europe, the Middle East, Oceania and Southeast Asia have started a security initiative for data lines on the seabed with the “Guide Principles of Exchange for the Defense of Underwater Infrastructure”. Signatories to the end of May include France, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore and Qatar. The alliance thus responds to the recognition that waterways also contain important cores of modern civilization: submarine cables and pipelines that connect global energy and telecommunications networks.

Since any interruption in a part of this network can be system-prone, states want to establish common international standards through the guide to better protect these infrastructures. This has long been considered a topic for specialists. However, after repeated incidents in the Baltic Sea and in front of Taiwan, where cables were apparently deliberately severed, it is well on the political agenda. Also worry is that a Chinese research vessel has recently already tested a deep-sea cable cutter.

The comparatively easy vulnerability of sea cables attracts wide circles: Because far more than 95 per cent of global traffic is transported through lines under the sea, disorders can cause devastating damage. At the Security Conference in Singapore participants described the situation drastically: the seabed is becoming increasingly a battlefield. The protection of the deep sea infrastructure has thus become a core issue of modern defense, which seamlessly connects with the use of drones, AI, quantum computers and the warfare in space.

Protection through cooperation and information exchange

The Guide Agreement is not legally and financially binding, but sets political signals. The participating States undertake to respect the sovereignty of coastal states in accordance with international maritime law. The aim is to be able to react more quickly to attacks and crises by exchanging technology and information. Defence ministries recognise that the primary responsibility for design and repair remains with civil authorities and private operators.

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The military should play a supporting role, such as the use of ships or unmanned underwater vehicles for marine surveillance. The agreement is designed to allow further countries to join flexibly as soon as internal testing procedures are completed.

Germany is not one of the signatories. According to the FAZ, the reason for this is that within the Federal Government the exact responsibilities between the departments are not yet regulated. There are already protection initiatives in Europe by NATO and the EU. But cooperation with partners in the Indopazifik should now take into account the fact that this is a global challenge.

The example of Australia shows how existentially threatened individual states are: As an island region, the country handles about 99 percent of its Internet traffic over 15 submarine cables. Access to financial and health systems or public communication could theoretically be paralyzed by capturing these lines within a short time.

vulnerability of island states

Over the past 18 months, the world has experienced attacks on maritime infrastructure to a new extent. Regardless of whether these are accidents or targeted sabotage, they are driving a security-political rethink. Australia has therefore also sealed a new armaments project in Singapore as part of the security alliance with the UK and the USA. It is intended to promote the development of advanced underwater drones and to specifically also serve to protect marine cables. Smaller Pacific island states in the region, which are often only supplied via a single cable, see the cause for action. If this occurs, they are largely isolated.

(mho)