During the subsequent 87 years the U.S.A has established, by both threat and alliance, a virtual fiefdom over the mid-Atlantic islands which strategically offer unique maritime and air access to the Americas, Europe and Africa. This has been achieved by expanding the Lajes airfield to accommodate the mightiest of military aircraft culminating in the giants of warfare which have assembled there to aid the U.S. in the battlegrounds of the mid-East.

Despite a token presence of the Portuguese air force and, from time to time, the British R.A.F., the U.S. dominance has been unmistakable in the guise of being the hegemon of NATO.

However, recent rumblings from the White House have indicated a distancing of the USA from its allies in Europe and a growing possibility of withdrawal from its defence obligations. The continuation of its control over the destiny of the Acores is now in some doubt. Hence the kerfuffle concerning the use of Lajes to support the U.S.- Israel solo intervention in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

What was once a simple strategy of employing air and naval power as a powerful deterrent has evolved in the 21st century to global considerations related to Information Technology, minerology and underwater warfare; all assisted by an unknown ally in the form of Artificial Intelligence.

Presently, 25% of the world´s fibre optic cables pass through the territorial waters and the EEZ of the Açores. A major example is the EllaLink which primarily serves to connect the countries of the EU and Mercosur but will continue through the hub of Brasil to the BRICS bloc. Another is the 2Africa which encircles that continent and continues through the mid-east to India. A majority of nations so linked are not allied with the USA and some are numbered among its opponents.

After the revelations of Edward Snowden in 2013 which exposed the massive global spying by the U.S. National Security Agency, both were conceived as a means of preserving the integrity and sovereignty of international IT.

The only known U.S. link to pass through the Acores is the massive NUVEM system which is owned by Google and has sixteen pairs of cable with a total capacity of 384 Tbps. Some of the these are reserved for the exclusive use of the secret services of the USA and its diplomats. The protection of this system from sabotage and tapping is undertaken by a fleet of armed U.S. navy underwater vehicles supported by surface vessels registered as cable maintenance ships. While that may seem reasonable in view of the growing surveillance of fibre optic cables, it is unacceptable to the nations served by EllaLink and 2Africa that the USA should use its fleet to tap their systems and secured Intelligence.

However, what is more disturbing is the use of the underwater craft and large boats equipped with dredging equipment, hydraulic lifts and tracked tractors to remove nodules of polymetallic sulphides such as cobalt, copper, gold and silver from the seabed and to investigate sources for rare earths and minerals in the thermo-vents about which little is known. True, some of this activity has been labelled as “research” undertaken with the cooperation of Portuguese scientists but most of the analysis and mapping is classified as secret by the U.S. surveyors.

This clandestine activity is a nuanced combination of commercial and military interests. The underwater mid-Atlantic ridge is a principal corridor for mainly Russian nuclear and attack class submarines moving from the Arctic to the southern hemisphere. Their movement is covered by a complex NATO tracking system with “aggresive/defensive” equipment which uses sonar.

Tragically the same corridor is used for migration and breeding by various species of whales and other sea creatures which are caused great distress by noise which damages the nervous and reproductive systems. In a way similar to that of “bends” suffered by human divers, panic surfacing and consequent decompression sickness is resulting in agony and death to these animals.

Environmentalists believe that this is only a part of an increase in damaging activity which will bring havoc to the eco-system of the Açores zone and fully support the moratorium (Portuguese decree law 36/2025) on deep sea mining which is intended to last until 01-01-2050. However, this and other prohibitions published by the UN International Seabed Authority (ISA) will cause no restraint on the part of the USA as it does not recognize this entity and is being urged by its oligarchs to proceed with whatever activity will Make America Great Again - and richer.

The creation of a New World Order (or perhaps New Jungle Disorder) by the present incumbent of the White House is proceeding at an astonishing pace and of great concern to smaller nations which see their limited independence being reduced still further. The Açores and Portugal are a prime example of being at risk of subjugation to the interests of an erstwhile ally and benefactor.

Twentieth century memories of a divisive, non-federal Europe are fading fast. The Western Front which once split the continent in two is now moving to the Atlantic seaboard of which the Açores is a crucially important outpost.