China has launched a semi-autonomous unmanned research vessel designed to serve as a “mother ship” for more than 50 unmanned aircraft, surface vessels, and submersible drones.

The 290-foot Zhu Hai Yun is intended to deploy unmanned devices en masse for a 3D, networked observation system, above and below the surface – an “Intelligent and Agile Ocean Stereoscopic Observation System” covering an area about 50 nm in diameter.

Beijing has officially described it as a maritime research tool, but some experts have said the ship has the potential to be used as a military vessel. 

“The most immediate benefit to China is likely data collection,” Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow of China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Insider.

“From a purely science standpoint, which is the angle China is promoting, we could see Chinese drones (both surface and subsurface, and launched from the Zhu Hai Yun) contributing to disaster mitigation, environmental monitoring, etc.”

However, the drone mothership could also be used by China’s military to gather intelligence in the contested South China Sea, which several countries have made competing territorial claims over.

In recent years, China has made increasingly assertive claims of sovereignty over the sea, and has been building up its military presence.

Construction of the vessel began in July 2021 at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong. It will now undergo outfitting alongside the pier, and delivery is expected by the end of this year.

First in the World, China Launched Revolutionary Design New Unmanned Ship Zhu Hai Yun