Chinese Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMSs) & Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) developments for the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy).

This TREAD is based on official literature & existing open-sourced information.
Please feel free to compliment where possible.
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The Chinese Unmanned Maritime Vehicles we are going to list with basic features are:

1) HSU001 (UUV)
2) Seafly-01 (UMV)
3) M80A (UMV)
4) Marine Lizard/Sea Lizard (UMV)
5) JARI Multipurpose Unmanned Combat boat (UMV)
6) Dive Dragon & Sea Whale (UUV)
7) Sea Wing (UUV)
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8) ME40 (USV)
9) L30 (USV)
10) D3000 Oceanic Combat ship (possible development)

The first thing is to understand the wide range of different purposes of these systems:
From a Civil point of view: Primarily scientific nature.
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But obviously, this can also be exploited from a Military point of view:
-Underwater navigation;
-Sonar calibration;
-Anti-submarine warfare;
-Mine counter-measures;
-Reconnaissance and reinforce land claims in South China Sea.
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1) HSU001 UUV (Showcased 1 Oct 2019)

Length:5-6m (est)
Beam:1.2-1.5m (est)
Height:NA
Displacement:NA
Payload:NA, possible EO/IR & signals/communication intelligence gathering mast observed
Endurance/Range:NA
Developer:NA, possibly SIA
…
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Status:NA
Details:Altitude thrusters, Retractable mast-mounted ISR suite, Twin screw propulsion, horizontal thrusters & forward-looking camera

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2) SeaFly-01 UMV (Development started in 2014. 1st Prototype, SeaFly-01 completed trials on 27 Oct 2016. Large completed in 2018)

Length:10.25m
Beam:3.7m
Displacement:4.5T
Speed:45+ kt
...
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Payload:1.5T. Remote weapon system, anti-armour guided missiles, modular rear payload bay
Endurance/Range:515 n miles (fuel tank 700l)
Developer:Beijing Sifang Automation.
Status:In development. Actively marketed
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Details:Double-M hull for stability & low radar cross section hullform.
Missions:Area denial, surveillance, intelligence gathering, harbour & force protection, anti-submarine warfare, weather data collection, hydrological sampling & terrain mapping.
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3) M80A UMV (Launched 2016)

Length:4.8m
Beam:2.35m
Height:1.35 (above waterline)
Displacement:4.5T
Speed:10+ kt
Payload:1.5x1.2x0.5m multi-mission bay with 150kg capacity
Endurance/Range:200n miles
Developer:Yunzhou Tech
Status: In production & in service
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Details:wave piercing, foil-assisted trimaran hull form & carbon foam sandwich material. Typical Sensor systems:Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers, multibeam echo sounders, side-scan sonars, towed sub-bottom profilers & multi-parameter sondes.
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4) Marine Lizard/Sea Lizard (UMV) (Launched Nov 2018)

Length:13.5m
Beam:4.14m
Displacement:14.7T
Speed:50kt (water)/20mk/h (land)
Payload:5T
Endurance/Range:648n miles
Developer:China Shipbuilding Industry Company
Status:In development
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Missions:Amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. Can be used as mobile, weapon and sensor platform. Designed to be fully autonomous, but cannot currently do a ship-to-shore autonomously with troops or materials.
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5) JARI [Jiangsu Automation Research Institute] Multipurpose Unmanned Combat boat (UMV) (Showcased 2018, sea trials Aug 2019)

Length:15m
Beam:4.8m
Displacement:20T
Speed:42kt
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Payload:NA (Remote weapon system/anti-armour guided missiles, lightweight air defence missiles and torpedoes)
Endurance/Range:500n miles
Developer:CSIC 702 & 716 Reaserch Institutes
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Status: In development
Details:Remote weapon station, 4-cell vertical launch system (VLSs)& 324mm torpedo launchers.
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6) Dive Dragon Series & Sea Whale (UUV)

6a) Submerged Dragon 1

Length:4.6m
Diameter:0.8m
Weight:1.5T:
Speed:2kt
Endurance/Range:24hr
Developer:China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
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6b) Sea Whale 2000

Length:3.0m
Displacement:200kg
Speed:2kt
Maximum depth: 2km
Developer:Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology Department at CAS’ SIA
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7) Sea Wing (UUV) (March 2017)

Length:1.9-2.3m (model dependent)
Diameter:0.22m
Weight:60-95kg (model dependent)
Speed: 1kt
Payload:ADCP, CTP, customer specified
Endurance/Range:40-60days (model dependent)
Developer:SIA, Taijin University, Deepfar Ocean Technology
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Status:In production& In service
Details: Ballast system & antenna duct to the rear. Tethered operation possible.
Missions: Sea exploration, offshore industry, environmental monitoring, marine science survey, coastal mapping &underwater communications relay.
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8) ME40 (USV) (Showcased in demo May‘18)

Length:1.63m
Diameter/width:0.73m
Height:0.37m
Displacement:33kg
Speed:10kt
Range: 2km(autonomous)/1km(LoS)
Payload: ADCP, echo sounder, side scan sonar
Endurance:[email protected]
Communications:NA
Developer:Yunzhou Tech
Missions:Swarming
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9) L30 (USV) (Showcased in demonstration May 2018)

Length:7.5m
Width:2.7m
Height:4.2m
Displacement:3.75T
Speed:45kt
Range: 2km(autonomous)/1km(LoS)
Sensors:12.7mm heavy machine gun, or 4-cell ATGM launcher
Endurance:310 nmiles@22kt
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Communications:NA
Developer: Yunzhou Tech
Details: There is a larger model, L80 and both models are made of fibre-reinforced plastic.
Missions:Swarming (leader). Patrolling, reconnaissance, SAR, CBRE detection, or even anti-terrorism in shallow waters border defence.
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10) D3000 Oceanic Combat ship (possible development)

Length:30+m
Beam: NA
Height:NA
Displacement:NA
Speed:40kt
Payload:10T
Endurance/Range:Up to 90days unrefuelled
Developer:CASC Ninth Academy
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Status: Concept, development unknown
Details: Version D3000A-ASW/AAD & D3000B-ASuW
Missions:High-end naval operations- ASuW, ASW, force protection & area air defence
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All this information has been taken from Jane’s Unmanned Maritime Vehicles Yearbook 20/21 by @defencetechasia

https://shop.janes.com/Maritime-IHS/Unmanned-Maritime-Vehicles-Yearbook-20-21/?force_sid=s09f994607ktvdfthdn3l80d07

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