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Liu Zhen

China has delivered a fleet of the “world’s first” armed amphibious drone boat, a weapon that analysts say could shore up defences on its remote South China Sea outposts.
The first batch of “Marine Lizard” stealth drones were handed over to the Chinese military last week by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, a subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the developer said on its microblog.
The vessels are 12 metres long, and can reach a top speed of 50 knots in the water and 20km/h (12.4 miles/hour) on land.
Each is armed with two machine guns and a vertical launch system for anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, allowing for deployment in land, air and ship attacks, according to Hubei Daily.
They have a maximum operational range of 1,200km (745 miles) and can be controlled remotely from up to 50km away.
Philippines says 200 Chinese ships have been sighted off disputed South China Sea island since January
A combination of radar, optical and Beidou satellite navigation systems also meant the vessels could team up in combat with aerial and land drones and other drone boats, the newspaper reported on Sunday.
CSIC said the aluminium alloy Marine Lizards could be used to move personnel, carry out coastal patrols, conduct inshore surveillance and bolster airport defence on military outposts.
“They can hide and hibernate, do autonomous patrols, and launch rapid assaults and landings,” the company said.

The vessels could lie low near a target for as long as eight months before being reactivated remotely to launch a sudden attack, a tactic that could be used to take over uninhabited islands, the report cited a company manager as saying.
Beijing-based military commentator Song Zhongping said the speed and stealth of the Marine Lizards meant they could also ferry combatants for a surprise attack on an island to take out a target or mount a decapitation strike.
Beijing plans ‘strategic service and logistics base’ on Woody Island, two islets in South China Sea
In addition, they can be released from either land or a ship-landing docks to search for enemy divers or conduct round-the-clock, all-weather coastal patrols and surveillance.
Song said such features would be particularly useful for Chinese coastguard and military forces in the South China Sea.
“In the South China Sea, it can be used to either seize a reef or guard a reef, both offensive and defensive,” he said.
Beijing-based military commentator Zhou Chenming said the drone might need further testing and modification before final deployment.
“For example, the tracks [used on land] are too small, which would be of little help,” he said.
Bigger tracks would allow the Marine Lizards to move faster on land, according to the Hubei Daily report.


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China’s military

Will China’s new stealth amphibious drone boats guard its South China Sea outposts?

Marine Lizards can reach a top speed of 50 knots in the water and 20km/h (12.4 miles/hour) on land. Photo: CSIC

=== PHOTO CAPTURED FROM WEIBO === The world's first armed amphibious drone boat Marine Lizard is successfully delivered on April 8, 2019, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) announced on Friday. Photo: screenshot of CSIC's Sina Weibo account.

China Coast Guard heads to front line to enforce Beijing’s South China Sea claims

China’s coastguard is expected to play a bigger role in enforcement in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

China ‘puts wartime command system to test’ in South China Sea drills

The Hefei, a guided missile destroyer, fires its close-in weapons system during a recent drill in the Pacific Ocean. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

Sailors assigned to a far-sea joint training flotilla with the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command make light signals aboard the guided-missile destroyer Hefei (Hull 174) during a recent maritime air-defense and anti-missile drill in waters of the Pacific Ocean. The flotilla comprised of the guided-missile destroyer Hefei (Hull 174), the guided-missile frigate Yuncheng (Hull 571), the amphibious dock landing ship Changbaishan (Hull 989) and the comprehensive supply ship Honghu (Hull 963). (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhou Qiqing)

Why are tensions running high in the South China Sea dispute?

The American aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz with their carrier strike groups during a July 2020 drill in the South China Sea. Photo: EPA

This picture taken by Vietnam News Agency and released on June 14, 2011 shows Vietnamese sailors patroling on Phan Vinh Island in the Spratly archipelago. Vietnam put on a show of military strength in the tense South China Sea on June 13, risking the ire of Beijing in the face of a deepening maritime rift with its powerful neighbour. AFP PHOTO / Vietnam News Agency

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2020, file photo released by Indonesian Presidential Office, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, inspects troops during his visit at Indonesian Navy ship KRI Usman Harun at Selat Lampa Port, Natuna Islands, Indonesia. Widodo reaffirmed his country's sovereignty during a visit to a group of islands at the edge of the South China Sea that China claims as its traditional fishing area. (Agus Soeparto, Indonesian Presidential Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2014, file photo, Chinese tourists take souvenir photos with the Chinese national flag as they visit Quanfu Island, one of Paracel Islands of Sansha prefecture of southern China's Hainan province in the South China Sea. Vietnam's foreign ministry on Friday, April 3, 2020, said a fishing boat with eight Vietnamese fishermen on board was "carrying out normal fishing activities" the previous day in waters near the Paracel islands that Vietnam claims but which are controlled by China. It was then "hindered, rammed and sunk" by a Chinese coast guard vessel, the ministry said. (AP Photo/Peng Peng, File)

File Photo: Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

News

China

Military

Developer delivers batch of what it claims is the first weapon of its kind in the world


Developer delivers batch of what it claims is the first weapon of its kind in the world.


South China Sea

Will China’s new stealth amphibious drone boats guard its South China Sea outposts?

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Developer delivers batch of what it claims is the first weapon of its kind in the world

Developer delivers batch of what it claims is the first weapon of its kind in the world