China is constructing what it claims to be the world's first underwater mothership capable of launching submarine drones at a Shanghai shipyard. Satellite images reveal the vessel can carry four large autonomous submarines, each around six times larger than the U.S. Navy’s Boeing Orca XLUUV model. Independent defense expert H I Sutton suggests this mothership could hold up to four of China's extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XXLUUVs), which have already been tested in the South China Sea.
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China is building the world's first-ever underwater mothership capable of launching submarine drones, according to new satellite images.
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China → see → images
The vessel, which was identified at a shipyard in Shanghai, is understood to be able to carry four enormous autonomous submarines and deploy them across the ocean.
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which → identify → ocean
Images taken by Vantor, a US defence intelligence company, show a red ship under construction at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard.
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Images → take → shipyard
Beijing has previously constructed large amphibious assault warships at the site.
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Beijing → construct → site
China is the only known nation to have designed an uncrewed submarine so big.
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China → know → submarine
They are so large that a new term had to be coined: extra-extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle (XXLUUV).
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term → have → ?
'The most plausible explanation is that it is a special drone submarine mothership,' H I Sutton, an independent defence expert who specialises in underwater warfare, told Naval News.
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who → specialise → News
He theorised that, based on its size, the new warship could feasibly hold at least four of China's XXLUUVs for thousands of miles.
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warship → theorise → miles
China is building the world's first-ever underwater mothership capable of launching submarine drones, according to new satellite images
The vessel, which was identified at a shipyard in Shanghai, is understood to be able to carry four enormous autonomous submarines and deploy them across the ocean
The full-size uncrewed submarines, first revealed in January 2025, have already been tested by Beijing in the South China Sea off the coast of the island of Hainan.
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submarines → build → Hainan
The Orca has a range of up to 6,500 nautical miles and is used for long-range covert maritime operations.
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Orca → have → operations
On China's new mothership, the submarines will likely be stored in an internal hangar, the size and presence of which 'make a civilian or research explanation unconvincing'.
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explanation → store → which
While not much is understood about the XXLUUV drones, Mr Sutton said the American iteration can typically carry around eight heavyweight torpedoes.
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iteration → understand → torpedoes
This means an uncrewed submarine of an even larger size should be able to carry an even greater payload over 10,000 nautical miles.
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submarine → mean → miles
The UK has also built its own XLUUV, known as the XV Excalibur, under Project Cetus.
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UK → build → Cetus
The XV Excalibur, which began undersea trials in July and is expected to be operational by 2028, measures only 12 metres (39 feet) and has an endurance of up to 1,000 miles.
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which → begin → miles
China's new vessel appears to also have a hangar near its bow, which can be used to transport a helicopter.
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which → appear → helicopter
Beijing is the world's largest producer of warships, with experts claiming that its shipbuilding capacity is at least 200 times greater than that of Washington, with an estimated 405 warships to America’s 295.
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capacity → claim → 295
The main drive behind the production is that China’s major defence goals – and what it perceives to be its greatest threats – are at sea.
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it → perceive → sea
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been vocal about his ambition to bring Taiwan under Chinese control, and has not ruled out the use of military action to seize the island nation.
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Jinping → bring → nation
In the event of him following through with his plans - which Taiwan strongly opposes - maritime conflict would be inevitable.
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conflict → follow → which
Beijing has been quickly expanding its presence in the South China Sea, where it claims sovereignty over nearly all islands despite fierce opposition from the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.
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it → expand → Philippines
These disagreements have already flared up into violence, and experts have warned of potential flashpoints that could accelerate into an even more volatile situation.
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that → flare → situation
China’s yearly Xiangshan Forum, one of its highest-profile international security and defence conferences, began on Tuesday with nearly 100 nations in attendance.
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nations → begin → attendance
During the conference on Wednesday, Dong Jun, the country’s defence minister, said: 'We must bear in mind the lessons of history and remain highly vigilant against all latent manifestations of hegemony, militarism and historical revisionism.'
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We → say → hegemony
Many analysts took the comment as a veiled condemnation of Japan, which has been embroiled in a diplomatic argument with China since last year and which has also been accelerating the expansion of its own defence capabilities.
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which → take → capabilities
The Aporia
