Chinese scientists work on powerful new ‘submarine killer’ with eye on US far into South China Sea

Researchers in Xian combine drone technology and AI to turn rocket launchers into submarine killers 200km off the coastline

Computer simulations show the system is capable of getting a torpedo within two metres of a submarine two to six minutes after splashdown

Reading Time:4 minutes

Detecting and neutralising the US submarine fleet has become a top priority for the Chinese military. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 4 Nov 2023

A nuclear submarine is cruising at a safe depth in international waters when a torpedo appears on the sonar, moving aimlessly in the distance.

A few minutes later, as if guided by an invisible hand, it begins to close in on the sub. The sonar operator hears a few more splashes from above. More torpedoes appear.

The captain is caught off guard. The typical range of a torpedo is only about 40km (25 miles). There are no military ships or aircraft nearby to serve as a launch platform. And the submarine is still hundreds of kilometres away from China’s coastline.

In this computer-simulated war game conducted by a team of scientists in northwestern China, the People’s Liberation Army locates and destroys an unfriendly submarine from a long distance with a weapon never before considered in anti-submarine warfare – a rocket launcher.

A rocket artillery system can fire a number of rocket-propelled projectiles in quick succession. Some rudimentary versions, such as those used by Hamas against Israel, are designed to randomly rain down over a large area. More advanced models, including the M142 HIMARS in the Ukraine war, can hit precise targets with guided munitions.

China is believed to have deployed a large number of long-range rocket launchers along its coastline. Some are mounted on warships.

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