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Unusual Black Trimaran Drone Ship Spotted In Chinese Shipyard
- Published on 29/10/2025
- By H I Sutton
- In News
Click to enlarge. The new vessel, observed in satellite imagery, has a unique layout. It is likely uncrewed and possibly semi-submersible. The leading explanation, as yet unconfirmed, is that it is a high-speed arsenal ship.Hidden beneath tarpaulins, an uncommon sight at Chinese shipyards, a new trimaran-hulled vessel appears to combine features of both surface ships and submarines. Satellite imagery suggests it may be uncrewed, designed for high-speed operations. Though its purpose remains unknown, the project reflects the accelerating pace and growing sophistication of China’s naval innovation.
A new vessel, observed in a shipyard in Guangzhou over the past few months, has so far defied explanation. Like so many Chinese government secret projects, nothing has been revealed publicly. Its designation, owner and purpose are all subject to speculation. Yet it is not entirely unfathomable.
The mystery warship is under construction at the Huangpu shipyard, which is normally associated with frigates and corvettes. Its 65 meter (ft) hull has been mostly hidden under tarpaulin, a highly unusual practice in this shipyard. Analysis of satellite imagery shows a very long and slender vessel with trimaran outriggers at the extreme stern. It has submarine-like qualities and a large box-like casing on the long forward deck.
We can summise that it is likely uncrewed, or at least minimally crewed, as there is little space for traditional crew accommodation and the superstructure is small and narrow. The hull form suggests very high surface speed and does not fit a true submarine.
Semi-Submersible Arsenal Ship
A leading theory is that this is the semi-submersible arsenal ship which has been speculated would be built. Rumours of this emerged on the Chinese internet in 2017. Although hung from published scientific research, much of the reporting at the time was highly speculative. Stories blended fan art with rehashed U.S. Navy ideas of arsenal ships, the concept of a vessel designed solely to carry a large quantity of land-attack missiles. Possibly China has finally built one.This new vessel appears to fit the bill. It has a round, almost submarine-like, lower hull and sail superstructure. It is also painted a very dark grey or black, which while possibly cosmetic, would be unusual for a regular surface vessel.
Given its overall size, a vertical launch system (VLS) on the forward deck should have enough depth for cruise missiles.
In keeping with the concept there is no tall superstructure to improve the range of radars or other fire control sensors. Arsenal ships rely on other vessels for targeting, simply acting as a floating magazine. If it is semi-submersible, then a lot of its hull would be given over to ballast tanks.
However, in exploring this possibility we are missing one crucial piece of information. We have not yet seen clear images of the vessel’s forward deck where the missile silos ought to be. We must therefore also consider other explanations.
Drone Carrier & Other Concepts
Alternative theories include a drone carrier, using large multirotor drones in place of missiles. The boxy forward hull resembles the drone hangars increasingly found on smaller uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in Ukraine. This vessel could potentially carry tens of drones, or much larger ones than regular USVs. The weakness of this explanation however is that, if it is the case, then why does the vessel need such a large hull? These drones are, even larger ones, comparatively light in naval terms.Or the flat deck may also be a runway for fixed-wing drones, with a small ski jump near the bow. But this theory is undermined by the centrally placed sail at the aft end of the deck. Flight decks are generally clear of obstructions and superstructures, known as islands, are normally offset to starboard.
The Huangpu shipyard has previously built semi-submersible transport ships like the Type-711 ‘Yinmahu’. On that ship a large flat deck is used to carry other vessels. This may be the case for the new design, but with a more tactical form. It might carry other surface drones (USVs) or large underwater drones (XLUUVs) to extend their range by thousands of miles. In this way the forward deck may appear similar to that of the India class submarine which carried deep diving submersibles. But this explanation gets hung up on the outriggers which would likely get in the way. Other theories include some form of special forces or troop transport.
Outlook
The pace of new developments in Chinese Navy (PLAN) continues to increase. The combination of a vast shipbuilding base, immense human capital (with many naval architects and engineers trained in Western universities) and huge budgets has resulted in numerous unusual vessels.Designs and concepts which exist in PowerPoint in Western navies are being built in China for the PLAN. This is particularly true in the uncrewed space. If Western navies do want to get in the boat, they are likely to start years behind where China has got through early adoption and physical experimentation.
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