Zhuhai Cloud
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Zhuhai Cloud |
| Owner | Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen University |
| Builder | China State Shipbuilding Corporation Huangpu Wenchong |
| Laid down | July 2021[1] |
| Launched | May 2022[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 2,000 tonnes[2] |
| Length | 88.5 metres (290 ft)[2] |
| Beam | 14 metres (46 ft)[2] |
| Speed | |
Zhuhai Cloud (Chinese: 朱海云; pinyin: Zhu Hai Yun) is a oceanography research vessel designed for uncrewed operations in open waters[2] and as a mother ship for uncrewed vehicles.[1] She has been called the first "drone mothership"[2] and the first "unmanned vehicle carrier".[1]
The ship was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation's Huangpu Wenchong for Sun Yat-sen University's Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory.[1] The laboratory's goal is to surveil an underwater and above water area 50 nautical miles in diameter using a network of unmanned devices.[1]
Zhuhai Cloud may have military applications. Timothy Heath, a RAND Corporation analyst, believes these include accurately mapping depths for submarines, and deploying smart mines.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "CSSC Launches World's First "Drone Carrier"". The Maritime Executive. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Huang, Kristin (19 May 2022). "Does China's new drone mother ship have potential as a military vessel?". The Maritime Executive. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.