Chinese USV Development Thread

[totenchan]

What is that at the back ramp? VDS? Mine hunting sonar?

Sort of looks like a towed sonar but its hard to tell

 

[Totoro]

There are also mine hunting sonars that look just like that from behind, so I'd say it's too early to be sure. Both use cases would be of tremendous utility to PLAN. For the mine hunting sonar, imagine landing a force on a defended landmass but not having unmanned assets to help you clear prolific sea minefields that are probably gonna get in the way.

 

[lcloo]

We have seen photo of PLAN mine sweeper leading 2 or 3 smaller unmanned boats for mine cleanrance exercise. This could be a much improved new mine sweeper drone.

Check out PLAN Minesweeper #804, controlling unmanned boats 8041, 8042 and 8043.

 

[amchan]

There are also mine hunting sonars that look just like that from behind, so I'd say it's too early to be sure. Both use cases would be of tremendous utility to PLAN. For the mine hunting sonar, imagine landing a force on a defended landmass but not having unmanned assets to help you clear prolific sea minefields that are probably gonna get in the way.

If that USV is made from ferrous materials it might be pretty suboptimal as a minesweeper. Most minesweepers are made from wood or fibreglass.

 

[lcloo]

We have seen photo of PLAN mine sweeper leading 2 or 3 smaller unmanned boats for mine cleanrance exercise. This could be a much improved new mine sweeper drone.

Check out PLAN Minesweeper #804, controlling unmanned boats 8041, 8042 and 8043.

Considered that type 529 mine sweeper drone were commissioned in 2004/2005, most likely the new USV we saw in the reheasal of Sept 3rd parade could be their new replacement. There are at least 6 type 529 drones i.e. pennant number 8041, 8042, 8043, 8181, 8182 and 8183.

3 Type 529 drones with mother ship #818 type 82-II minesweeper.

 

[Tomboy]

There are multiple classes of USV in service these days, Yankee suggested in his livestream that some model of USVs along with UUVs and aerial drones once built in sufficient numbers could form a dense ASW net within the first and second island chains that will efficiently detect and possibly autonomously destroy enemy submarines.

 

[para80]

The mine hunting angle makes a lot of sense. Also in combination with the biggish main gun. Which is something you want for clearing minefields under combat conditions, but which is far less relevant for ASW ops.