The ship has a well-deck, a lowering cradle system, and an internal hangar that could hold around four uncrewed submarines.
China already has two types of XXLUUVs (35m and 45m long) under testing — 6 to 8 times the size of the US Navy's Orca drone sub.
H I Sutton at Naval News says the only plausible explanation is a combat drone submarine mothership, not research.
China is now well ahead of any other country in fielding full-sized unmanned submarines.
Forwarded fromClash Report
China is building what appears to be the world's first mothership designed to deploy giant submarine drones, spotted at a Shanghai shipyard.
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