Mysterious 64-Meter “Drone Arsenal” Spotted in China

A previously unknown trimaran, which is likely to be a rocket-powered unmanned surface vehicle, was spotted at a Chinese shipyard.

This was reported by naval analyst H. I. Sutton in Naval News.

According to satellite images, the new vessel may be unmanned and designed for high-speed operations.

Although its purpose remains unknown, analysts believe that this project demonstrates the accelerating development of Chinese naval technology and its increasing complexity.

The vessel was first spotted several months ago at the Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou, which usually builds frigates and corvettes. Its 65-meter hull is almost completely covered with tarpaulin, an extremely rare practice for this shipyard, indicating a high level of secrecy.

The analysis of the images shows a long, narrow vessel with a trimaran design: two side hulls are located in the stern.

The hull is shaped like a submarine, and a large rectangular superstructure is visible on the long foredeck.

The vessel is likely unmanned or minimally crewed – the interior space is not enough to accommodate a standard crew, and the superstructure itself is narrow and low.

According to experts, the bow may have a vertical launcher of sufficient depth to accommodate cruise missiles.

At the same time, the ship does not have an advanced superstructure with radar or targeting fire control systems, which may indicate that the vehicle will serve as an arsenal ship that receives targeting instructions from other platforms and only launches missiles.

Another possible theory is that the vessel is a carrier drone that uses large drones instead of missiles. Its rectangular nose resembles a hangar for drones, similar to those that appear in Ukrainian projects.

The expert emphasizes that the appearance of this vessel may indicate the testing of new concepts of combat drones by the Chinese Navy, capable of operating autonomously or as part of a network with other ships.