China’s Potential Mothership for Underwater Drones Sparks Speculation

An unusual vessel under construction at a Shanghai shipyard has piqued interest as a potential mothership for China’s large uncrewed submarines. Open-source naval analyst H.I. Sutton revealed that satellite imagery of the 200-meter hull at Hudong-Zhonghua displayed features indicative of a submarine-drone mothership, including a large internal hangar and a stern opening for launching and recovering extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XXLUUVs). This capability, if verified, could allow Beijing to deploy drones far from its coast for extended periods. A military imagery analyst, who examined the same imagery independently for the South China Morning Post, highlighted a lifting frame or cradle…