China is building a new type of unmanned research ship

[xizhimen]

China is building a new type of unmanned research ship​

• Vessel will carry drones and be able to conduct air, sea surface and underwater monitoring remotely, and navigate autonomously in open water
• China has been investing heavily in marine research but its activities have been greeted with suspicion by neighbouring countries

Published: 4:00pm, 24 Jul, 2021

An artist’s impression of the new research ship. Work began on the vessel at a shipyard in Guangzhou on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

An artist’s impression of the new research ship. Work began on the vessel at a shipyard in Guangzhou on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
A Chinese shipbuilder has begun work on an unmanned scientific ship that could be a “game changer” for the country’s marine research, according to a trade publication.
The vessel – said to be the first of its type – will carry
drones
and be equipped to conduct air, sea surface and underwater monitoring remotely, China Ship Newsreported on Tuesday.

It could be used for everything from disaster prevention and mitigation work to seabed mapping, environmental monitoring and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
“The ship will use sensors, satellite communication, the internet and other technological means to autonomously navigate in open water, and it will dock and leave the dock with assistance,” the report said. “It could be a game changer for marine survey work.”

China is the world’s biggest shipbuilder and has ambitions of becoming a global maritime power. As well as navy ships, it has also been investing heavily in research vessels in recent years, with the newest and biggest
expected to make its maiden voyage to the South China Sea in October.

The vessel’s unmanned systems and drones will be able to form a network to observe designated targets. Photo: Handout

With a displacement of 2,100 tonnes the new research ship will be bigger than the Chinese navy’s Type 056 guided-missile corvette. It is being built in Guangzhou by the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which develops both research vessels and warships. Work began on Tuesday but the shipbuilder did not say when it was expected to be completed.


The vessel’s design is futuristic and streamlined – it will measure 88.5 metres long and 14 metres wide – and its unmanned systems and drones will be able to form a network to observe designated targets, according to the report. It will also have a monitoring and control system to keep track of how the vessel is operating remotely.

China is building a new type of unmanned research ship

Vessel will carry drones and be able to conduct air, sea surface and underwater monitoring remotely, and navigate autonomously in open water, report says.

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