China has rapidly modified a medium-sized cargo ship, transforming it into an improvised warship for launching advanced combat drones. According to The War Zone, citing satellite images, the vessel was equipped with an electromagnetic catapult to launch drones directly from the deck. This was reported by UNN.
Details
The converted vessel was spotted at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. Journalists recorded stealth combat drones with a large wingspan, similar to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), next to it. The ship's configuration was changed in just a few days: previously it functioned as an arsenal ship, and now it has become a multi-purpose platform for aviation systems.
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To integrate the air group, the ship's design was significantly reworked:
- The number of vertical launch cells was reduced from 60 to 24 units.
- A modular catapult system, assembled from individual truck-based segments, was installed on the deck.
- The 30mm Type 1130 close-in weapon system and a large phased array radar remained on board.
Changing naval warfare tactics
A distinctive feature of the development is the scalability of the launch track, which can be quickly deployed or dismantled. This concept allows China to rapidly transform its civilian fleet into military platforms capable of striking from the sea using drones.
Experts note that the use of improvised "drone carriers" could significantly alter the balance of power in the region. The presence of modern sensors and communication systems on board allows such a vessel to act as a full-fledged combat unit in modern conflicts.