China’s ‘drone’ aircraft carrier: What you need to know and why it matters

According to several news outlets, satellite imagery suggests that a previously unreported vessel could function as a drone carrier. While China’s three existing aircraft carriers have been analyzed quite thoroughly, this new mysterious vessel, positioned in a shipyard on the Yangtze, appears quite different.

As detailed by Naval News, the ship is smaller than China’s Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian aircraft carriers, which would make it harder for this vessel to hold the same number of airframes. It also features a straight deck arrangement, which would make it virtually impossible for aircraft to take off and land on the carrier’s deck simultaneously.

If this analysis is accurate, and Beijing is indeed fielding a drone carrier, the move would indicate that China is becoming more invested in cost-effective unmanned aerial operations.

What We Know 

The mystery boat hosts an array of unusual attributes. As Mitchell Institute fellow J. Michael Dahm told Naval News, the vessel’s hull is spaced like a catamaran. The flight deck also appears to sit very low, indicating that it is not designed to support prolonged flight operations. Dahm believes that Beijing could operate UAVs or smaller airframes with wingspans around 65 feet long.

The Mitchell Institute fellow also notes that while the warship might become a drone carrier for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), it could also be one of the service’s simulation ships. The Jiangsu Dayang Marine shipyard has previously constructed simulated enemy ships to help the PLAN carry out drills. Perhaps this mysterious ship is one such simulation vessel.

Drones in Naval Warfare Are on the Rise

UAVs have become more popular in recent years, especially following the 2021 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Drones have been used extensively in the Russia-Ukraine War and in Iran-linked bombardments of Israel. Countries are also testing how naval forces could use drones. Most recently, Turkey has repurposed its TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship into a drone carrier. Additionally, Iran has rebuilt its Shahid Mahdavi commercial cargo vessel into a drone carrier.

The Pros of UAVs

UAVs are much cheaper and less complex to produce than fighter jets. If China does field a drone carrier in the near future, the PLAN will hold some of the same power projection advantages as typical aircraft carriers, but at a much lower cost. As Beijing prepares for a potential future invasion of Taiwan, a drone carrier could come in handy. Its forces would be able to launch swarm drone barrages from land and sea to overwhelm the island’s existing defenses.