On May 18, 2022, China launched the world’s first seaborne drone carrier capable of operating on its own. The unmanned ship can be controlled remotely and navigate autonomously in open water.
The carrier will undertake marine scientific research and other observations. Weighing 2,000 tonnes, it has a top speed of 18 knots. It is 88m long, 14m wide and 6m deep.
Bearing the name Zhu Hai Yun, construction of the vessel in Guangzhou by the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China’s largest shipbuilding company the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, began in July 2021.
The vessel has a world-first AI system called the Intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS), developed by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), also known as the “Southern Ocean Laboratory” of Sun Yat-sen University.
It is expected to be delivered by the end of 2022 after completing sea trials.
Photo: Southern Ocean Laboratory
Source: South China Morning Post