China’s AI drone vessel takes maiden voyage, passes first sea trial

Name: China’s first domestically built drone ship completes initial sea trial
Uploaded: 2022-06-10T12:30:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min 14 s
Description: China’s first domestically built drone ship completes initial sea trial

The unnamed USV ‘meets expectations’ in 3-hour testing offshore of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province

In appearance the vessel is a hybrid of the US destroyer Zumwalt and its Sea Hunter drone ship

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China’s unnamed unmanned surface vessel, which has been compared to a hybrid of a US Navy destroyer and the Sea Hunter drone ship. Photo: Weibo

Liu Zhen

Published: 8:30pm, 10 Jun 2022

China’s first AI-operated drone vessel has met all expectations in its initial sea trial, with some of its technological specifications described as “world leading” by developers Beikun Intelligence.

The 200-tonne unmanned surface vessel (USV) – which looks like a hybrid of the US Zumwalt-class destroyer and the Sea Hunter drone ship – completed its three-hour maiden sea voyage offshore of Zhoushan, in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

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China’s first domestically built drone ship completes initial sea trial

Beikun’s head Mu Haifang said the USV was put through two set-up routes and collected data as predetermined, according to Zhoushan Daily.

The vessel is capable of a maximum speed of 20 knots and can operate normally in sea state 5 – with long and moderate waves – and sail safely in the “rough” sea state 6, Mu said.

“Its most distinctive feature is its artificial intelligence cabin with autonomous navigation technologies, and all parts on the boat are fully made in China,” he told the newspaper.

The vessel has already been through 30 trials covering 1,000 nautical miles on Lake Poyang since its unveiling in August 2019 in Jiujiang in Jiangxi province. The next step will be to conduct collision avoidance tests, the company said.