1. China’s Underwater Power Play: Emerging Threats to Global Digital Infrastructure.2. Securing the Digital and Orbital Frontiers in Ukraine.3.. Vietnam’s Island-Building: Shaping the South China Sea Standoff 4.

 

1. China’s Underwater Power Play: Emerging Threats to Global Digital Infrastructure

Heightened Risks from Subsea Cable Sabotage

China's unveiling of a specialized subsea cable-cutting ship has alarmed international security experts, intensifying concerns about the vulnerability of global digital infrastructure. These underwater cables form the backbone of the global internet and financial systems. The mere existence of such a capability suggests potential intent to disrupt critical communications in times of geopolitical tension or conflict.

Need for International Collaboration and Joint Patrols

The ocean is vast—no single nation can patrol it comprehensively. This makes international cooperation imperative. Countries that are interconnected through subsea cables should establish joint patrols, especially in chokepoints and conflict-prone or geostrategic waters. Such coordination can protect both cable-laying and repair ships while serving as a deterrent to state or non-state saboteurs.

Leveraging Technology for Surveillance and Detection

Surveillance satellites must play a pivotal role in tracking maritime activities near undersea cables, particularly flagging suspicious behavior like loitering in economically non-viable zones. Governments and private stakeholders should also explore the deployment of cable-mounted sensors that can detect disruptions—especially after natural disasters or suspected tampering—and help attribute the cause, whether accidental or intentional.

Balancing Security with Sovereignty

However, the deployment of such surveillance technologies near national boundaries raises legitimate concerns regarding sovereignty and privacy. These concerns must be addressed with transparency and through multilateral frameworks, possibly requiring updates to existing treaties to define acceptable norms of behavior in this new era of great-power competition.

Urgency for Resilience and Redundancy

Time is of the essence. Disabling key cables—whether across the trans-Pacific or through the Suez Canal—could trigger catastrophic consequences for economies and global communication networks. China's latest maritime capability should eliminate any doubts about the reality of this threat. Governments and private entities must act swiftly to bolster redundancy, build resilience, and coordinate efforts to secure this indispensable infrastructure.

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2. Securing the Digital and Orbital Frontiers in Ukraine

Cyber and Space as New Battlegrounds

Even under ceasefire conditions, Ukraine continues to face cyberattacks—underscoring how modern conflict transcends traditional battlefields. Cyber and space operations have emerged as powerful tools for political signaling and coercion. Russia’s persistent cyber offensives—and Ukraine’s equally persistent countermeasures—show how digital and orbital conflict continues even when guns fall silent.

Integrating Cyber and Space Resilience into National Defense

Ukraine must embed cyber and space preparedness into every level of its military and civilian strategy. Routine vulnerability assessments and contingency drills for both digital and space-based assets are no longer optional. These measures are essential to maintaining operational continuity and national security.

The Role of Global Partnerships

International support is critical. NATO, the EU, and other partners must provide not only technological aid but also diplomatic backing. Clear and timely attribution of malicious behavior, coupled with collective diplomatic pressure, can deter future attacks and reinforce the cost of such actions.

Building Deterrence Through Unity

The unity of Ukraine's allies, coupled with transparency and credible deterrence mechanisms, is key to neutralizing gray-zone threats in cyberspace and beyond. In an era where the lines between war and peace are increasingly blurred, resilience across digital and orbital domains is essential to lasting peace and sovereignty.

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3. Vietnam’s Island-Building: Shaping the South China Sea Standoff

Expanding Outposts, Quietly

Since 2021, Vietnam has quietly but significantly expanded its presence in the Spratly Islands. Through dredging and land reclamation, over 2,200 acres of new territory have been added across ten features, including the construction of eight harbors and a new airstrip. Though less dramatic than China’s island-building spree from 2013–2017, this move positions Vietnam as the second-largest player in artificial island construction in the region.

Strategic Gains—But Limited Naval Reach

These upgraded outposts will provide crucial logistical support for extended maritime deployments, particularly to monitor Chinese activities and protect Vietnam’s energy interests. However, despite having better facilities, Vietnam’s navy and coast guard remain limited in scale and capability compared to China’s. This gap may push Hanoi to rely more heavily on its maritime militia in the short term.

Fortifying Against Future Conflict

The expanded islands offer not only operational reach but also enhanced defensive capabilities. What were once isolated concrete posts now have the space to accommodate artillery, coastal defense systems, and radar installations. While this does not guarantee defense against a Chinese offensive, it significantly raises the cost of any such military action—introducing a deterrent dynamic into the region.

Potential for Escalation

Although other claimants have so far remained muted, Vietnam's island expansion could trigger broader responses if regional tensions escalate. Any confrontation over these fortified islets could quickly spiral into a wider conflict, making the South China Sea a flashpoint of increasing volatility