The prototype Sea Whale 2000 autonomous underwater vehicle seen during at-sea trials in November
Source: Shenyang Institute of Automation
China advances unmanned underwater capabilities
China’s scientific and defence science communities have revealed several active autonomous and unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV and UUV) development programmes within the final quarter of 2019,
demonstrating the country’s intent to construct and field increasingly sophisticated and capable systems for military and civilian applications.
In November
the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
announced that it had performed a 37-day trial in the South China Sea with the indigenously developed Haijing 2000 (Sea Whale 2000) AUV and covered a total distance of approximately 1,086 n miles.
Although the institute did not reveal the AUV’s mission path,
the claimed distance set a national record
and is the equivalent of a round trip from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s strategic Yulin Naval Base to the Spratly Islands.
Jane’s 360
https://www.janes.com/article/92930/china-advances-unmanned-underwater-capabilities