Could mystery Shanghai vessel be a mothership for China’s underwater drones?
Por Gabriel Dominguez — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement China's military weapons China Military Could mystery Shanghai vessel be a mothership for China’s underwater drones?
Satellite images show an unusual craft under construction that analysts say may be designed to deploy very large uncrewed submarines
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Gabriel Dominguez Published: 6:00pm, 18 Sep 2026
An unusual vessel taking shape at a Shanghai shipyard has been assessed as a possible mothership for China’s large uncrewed submarines – a capability that, if confirmed, could enable Beijing to operate the drones far from its own coast for sustained periods.
Open-source naval analyst H.I. Sutton said satellite imagery of the roughly 200-metre (656-foot) hull at Hudong-Zhonghua showed a large internal hangar and an opening at the stern that appeared designed to launch and recover extra-extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XXLUUVs) . Sutton said the vessel was most likely a dedicated submarine-drone mothership.
An experienced military imagery analyst who reviewed the same September 10 imagery for the South China Morning Post said he could independently identify the apparent stern launch-and-recovery system.
The analyst, who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said a lifting frame, or cradle, positioned behind the vessel in the dry dock appeared narrow enough to pass through the stern opening. The area inside the opening might lack a floor, he added, potentially allowing the cradle and any underwater craft it carried to be lowered into the sea or hoisted back aboard using the surrounding support structures, as Sutton described. Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
