In a massive technological leap, China has reportedly launched ‘Blue Whale,’ the world’s first high-speed uncrewed submersible. Incidentally, the launch comes amid fears that Beijing could use its submersibles for undersea warfare against its adversaries. 

The Blue Whale submersible was launched in Zhuhai on April 28, as reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The construction of the Blue Whale kicked off in June 2024. The vessel will now undergo harbour and sea trials and has been scheduled for full operational service by 2026.

The reports in state-owned Chinese media described the development of the Blue Whale submersible as a big advancement in the development of intelligent ocean equipment and a significant achievement in Chinese maritime technology.

The Blue Whale can reportedly remain submerged for up to 30 days and withstand extreme weather conditions.

China maintains that the vessel has been constructed purely for civilian purposes, and will be used for researching Typhoons.

Wu Guosong, chief engineer for the submersible uncrewed vehicle project at Yunzhou, told Xinhua that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) decision-making system on the ship will triple the operational efficiency in challenging ocean situations compared to manual controls.

“Through autonomous route planning and mission scheduling, it can position itself near typhoon paths to deploy rocket-powered meteorological sensors to gather critical oceanic and atmospheric data,” Wu told the publication. 

The “Blue Whale,” which is 11 meters (36 feet) long and weighs 12 tons, combines the capabilities of an undersea vessel and a high-speed surface ship. It can travel hundreds of kilometers at surface speeds of up to 36 knots, which is comparable to a warship or a US Navy torpedo. To avoid storms, the Blue Whale submersible can travel hundreds of kilometers before swiftly plunging up to 60 meters below the surface.

The vessel can operate in a Category 12 typhoon, which is a storm that is strong enough to cause dangerous sea conditions, towering waves, and powerful gusts of wind exceeding 130 kilometers per hour.

According to Yunzhou, the Blue Whale’s sophisticated propulsion system, which alternates between silent magnetic fluid drives and fast waterjets, allows it to reach speeds of up to 4 knots when submerged.

Moreover, the special coatings help reduce the operational noise of the vessel to the ocean’s ambient level, enabling more precise hydroacoustic monitoring for scientific research.

Wu noted that the vessel’s adaptable design allowed it to carry more than 20 different types of payloads, including equipment for weather surveys, underwater mapping, photography, water sampling, and inspections of subsea cables and pipelines. “It can submerge underwater and remain statically suspended for more than a month, enabling swift responses to unexpected tasks,” Wu said.

The Blue Whale can also be modified for various activities due to its modular design, which sets it apart from conventional uncrewed submarines.

For instance, the Blue Whale can map the seafloor in high resolution, thanks to a multibeam sonar system. This surface submersible ship features an intelligent monitoring network that includes bioacoustic detectors, underwater cameras, and water quality sensors, enabling real-time observations of ecological phenomena such as fish migrations, coral bleaching, and red tides in the South China Sea.

Notably, the ship mapped 3,000 square kilometers (1,158 square miles) in 15 days during trials in the South China Sea, which is five times faster than traditional research vessels.

The Blue Whale has been dubbed a “breakthrough leap” by Beijing-based Science and Technology Daily, which stated that the ship could help with resource development, ocean exploration, and the defense of maritime rights.

However, the launch of this vessel is likely to be keenly watched by China’s adversaries and critics, who have become increasingly wary of Chinese unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs) due to their potential use in sabotage and undersea warfare.

China’s Submersibles Under The Scanner 

Typically, unmanned vessels are used for deep-sea exploration, oceanographic research, meteorology, underwater mapping, photography, water sampling, and infrastructure inspection, including the maintenance of submarine cables and other underwater assets.

However, they also have military applications, such as laying mines, underwater surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare. China has developed a range of unmanned underwater vessels in recent years, some of which have been deployed in the contested South China Sea in the past.

In January this year, the Philippines recovered a submarine drone marked ‘HY-119’, which was suspected to be Chinese. Several other Chinese submarine drones have been recovered from the sea, which remains an active hotspot. Earlier, Indonesia also discovered Chinese underwater drones, demonstrating the widespread presence of such vessels.

Meanwhile, China has repeatedly been accused of using its civilian ships and research vessels for military purposes. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) is believed to have between 50,000 and 100,000 naval mines of over 30 different types that can be meticulously used in a potential invasion of Taiwan.

While the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has 48 conventional and twelve nuclear-powered submarines, they are “large and somewhat difficult to hide.

By contrast, mine warfare capabilities are easily hidden and thus constitute a true ‘assassin’s mace’ for the PLAN,” as noted by scholar Andrew E. Erikson in the past.

Large uncrewed underwater vehicles are especially well-suited for secret minelaying, which involves deploying explosives in shallow water that can damage or disable the keel of unsuspecting warships.

Notably, since UUVs are smaller and operate more silently than submarines, they can evade fixed underwater systems and are difficult to track, making them a significant threat.