China Builds World's First Underwater Mothership for Unmanned Submarines
Satellite images reveal China is building the world's first underwater mothership in Shanghai, capable of deploying massive unmanned submarines across oceans.
China is constructing the world's first underwater mothership designed to deploy unmanned submarines, according to satellite imagery analyzed by American defense intelligence firm Vantor and published by the Daily Mail. Identified at a shipyard in Shanghai, the red vessel is capable of transporting up to four massive autonomous underwater vehicles, categorized as XXLUUVs, across thousands of kilometers.
Strategic Implications in the Indo-Pacific
The immense drones, first revealed in January 2025, measure between 35 and 45 meters in length—significantly larger than the U.S. Navy's Boeing Orca XLUUV. Defense analysts suggest the Chinese mothership features an internal hangar system capable of deploying heavy payloads over vast distances, potentially threatening regional stability as Beijing pursues its territorial ambitions regarding Taiwan and the South China Sea.
"The most explanation is that this is a specialized mothership for drone submarines," a naval warfare expert told Naval News.
Global Naval Developments
Meanwhile, other global powers are advancing their own autonomous underwater capabilities. Great Britain is currently developing the XV Excalibur, a 12-meter unmanned vessel slated for operational service by 2028. With China maintaining a numerical advantage in total warship count—possessing approximately 405 vessels compared to the United States' 295—military planners are closely monitoring these technological advancements.
