China is building the world’s first-ever underwater mothership capable of launching submarine drones, according to new satellite images.
The vessel, which was identified at a shipyard in Shanghai, is understood to be able to carry four enormous autonomous submarines and deploy them across the ocean.
Images taken by Vantor, a US defence intelligence company, show a red ship under construction at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard.
Beijing has previously constructed large amphibious assault warships at the site.
China is the only known nation to have designed an uncrewed submarine so big.
They are so large that a new term had to be coined: extra-extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle (XXLUUV).
‘The most plausible
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