AI Image
Second Possible Chinese UUV Mothership Appears In Guangzhou
Naval News • • world
Key Points:
- New imagery from Chinese social media reveals a second new naval auxiliary vessel for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), speculated to be a mothership for large unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
- The vessel, spotted near Guangzhou's Pearl River and likely built at the COMEC shipyard, is smaller than a similar UUV mothership under construction in Shanghai, measuring about 150 meters in length with six jack-up masts at the stern.
- Both ships share design features such as a raised forward deckhouse, well deck-like stern openings, and diesel engine smokestacks, but differ in hull shape and mast configuration, indicating different designs for similar roles.
- COMEC shipyard, suspected builder of the new vessel, has been actively producing a variety of auxiliary ships for PLAN, including amphibious barges, fleet replenishment ships, submarine support vessels, and hospital ships.
- The exact purpose of this new auxiliary vessel remains unclear due to limited official information, and further analysis will depend on the release of more detailed imagery and data.
