New Russian Spy Ship does Cable

The BBC has posted a funny article today about a new Russian spy ship that, by Russian accounts, can tap into undersea cables.  The article quotes a NATO official as saying they are concerned that this ship may be used to cut undersea cables, which the Russians have been doing forever with their older versions of “fishing boats” that don’t catch any fish, but do manage to spear a few cables.  Cutting them is the least of our worries.  The Russian article says they can tap them, which is no great feat, but the NATO rep makes it sound like this can’t be done.  “It is just light” he says.  I’m not sure who is kidding whom here, NATO or the Russian news sources.  You can pick a topic here and look it up, but this one is a good start, a 2013 article from Atlantic Monthly.  When I wrote about this in my first book, I was concerned that cables in almost every part of the Pacific, have a drop in China.  They don’t have to fish for them in deep water.