China builds second specialized mothership for underwater drones, satellite images show

China has built a second vessel designed to support the handling of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).

The new ship was constructed at Guangzhou Shipyard International and appears smaller than a similar vessel identified earlier in Shanghai.

The vessel shares several design features with its counterpart, including a flight deck, a hangar behind the forward superstructure, and structures for handling underwater vehicles.

The emergence of the second vessel adds to the evidence of China’s development of specialized ships for underwater drone operations. However, the vessels’ precise missions and the types of underwater vehicles they will carry remain unconfirmed.

Mothership for underwater drones

The new ship was identified through satellite imagery of Guangzhou Shipyard International’s facilities on Longxue Island, southeast of Guangzhou. An image dated October 2 showed the vessel emerging from a covered graving yard at the shipyard.

The newer vessel has six lifting towers. By comparison, the Shanghai ship has six larger towers and six smaller ones. Both vessels feature a stern garage and a well deck, arrangements that appear designed to help move underwater vehicles between the ship and the water.

The Shanghai vessel was nearing completion at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard on Changxing Island when the report was issued in September. Its design appeared capable of accommodating either a small number of large underwater vehicles or a larger number of smaller ones.

The second ship has a similar general layout, including the positioning of its flight deck, hangar, and smokestacks. However, differences in its proportions and lifting arrangements distinguish it from the Shanghai vessel. The report does not establish the carrying capacity of either ship or identify the underwater vehicles intended for them.

Guangzhou Shipyard International is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Satellite imageryprovided the basis for identifying the construction location of the newer vessel.

China’s underwater program

Large uncrewed underwater vehicles can perform tasks such as seabed mapping, mine detection, and surveillance. And may also support operations involving submarines and surface ships. Some UUV designs can accommodate other payloads, including weapons, although no specific payload has been confirmed for these vessels.

The ships’ stern access arrangements and lifting structures suggest that they could support the deployment and recovery of underwater vehicles. Their configuration could allow operators to handle different types of UUVs, but the exact capabilities of the ships remain unclear.

Experts highlight the possibility that the two vessels could be experimental assets. The publication cited rumors of a broader program involving additional ships with similar capabilities, but did not confirm that more vessels are under construction.

If additional ships are built, they could increase China’s capacity to deploy and recover underwater vehicles. However, the scale of any potential program and the vessels’ eventual operational roles remain unconfirmed.

For now, the two identified ships share a specialized configuration for handling underwater vehicles, with differences in size and lifting equipment. More information on their payloads, testing, and deployment would help clarify how China intends to use them.