China's giant drone submarine could redefine naval warfare
MT Anderson, an analyst of open-source intelligence, has noted a new, previously unknown submarine at the Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China. Information about it is limited, but it is possible that Beijing has secretly built the world's largest combat underwater drone.
China has once again surprised the world with the pace of expansion and modernization of its navy. Satellite images highlighted by MT Anderson reveal a new submarine in the dock of the Guangzhou Shipyard. Experts from Naval News have confirmed that it is a "new and previously unreported design."
China's new submarine
Currently, little is known about the submarine's specifications and purpose. However, its photos suggest that it is approximately 45 metres long and 5 metres wide. The large X-shaped rudders and the lack of a conning tower, which traditionally facilitates interior access and enhances surface visibility, are particularly noteworthy.
Eliminating the conning tower improves the hull's streamlining, but such a solution was known only from experimental units until now. Naval News emphasizes that China is the only country that has successfully built a submarine without a conning tower, with one having been launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai in 2019. It cannot be ruled out that the recently observed unit is an evolution of the previous project.
Naval News also suggested that the construction of the new submarine indicates it may be an unmanned unit (XLUUV - extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle). Such vehicles usually do not have a conning tower because crew access is not needed. If these suspicions are confirmed, it will be the largest unmanned submarine in the world, 6 to even 8 times larger than the American Orca XLUUV.
China builds military might
According to a report from the United States Department of Defense from December 2024, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has about 370 warships (including about 60 submarines—12 nuclear-powered and 48 conventionally powered), currently making it the largest in the world. Pentagon forecasts suggest that by the end of 2025, the number of ships owned by Beijing will increase to 395 (including the number of submarines rising to 65), and by 2030 it will reach 435 units (80 submarines).
The Chinese Navy is not the only area where the country is focused on increasing its capabilities and expansion. Intense development also encompasses air and ground forces. In October 2024, the Defense Intelligence Agency, an American military intelligence agency within the Pentagon, prepared a report highlighting China's alarming pace of nuclear weapons accumulation. The document indicates that in 2020, Beijing had about 200 operational nuclear warheads, currently has about 500, and by 2030, the number could exceed a thousand.
It is also worth noting that on December 26, on the birthday of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, a mysterious aircraft developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) was revealed as a sixth-generation machine. The Chengdu J-36 is the latest project of the Chinese aviation industry. The aircraft features a tailless flying wing design with a double delta configuration aimed at maximizing stealth properties.
As we previously reported, its broad fuselage suggests significant capacity in its internal weapon bays, capable of carrying various air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. The presence of advanced electro-optical sensors indicates an ability to operate in diverse combat conditions, with an emphasis on high situational awareness. If information about China's sixth-generation fighter jets is confirmed, it would mean that the country has become the first to possess such a machine.
