China presents a 45-meter-long marine drone with 8 missiles and 24 kamikaze UAVs
Although the project is still at the stage of an exhibition model, it definitely deserves attention
During the Defense Services Asia (DSA) 2024 defense exhibition, which will take place from May 6 to 9 in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, Chinese defense company Poly Technologies showed a project of a maritime attack drone under the A2000 index.
Such an unmanned ship will have rather large dimensions and will be equipped with several types of weapons, and its onboard equipment will allow it to perform several tasks at once, not only strike missions but also reconnaissance missions. This is stated in the publication of the portal Janes.
In particular, it is noted that the Chinese A2000 will have a total water displacement of 280 tons with a hull length of 45 meters. The propulsion system will consist of two diesel engines that will allow the ship to reach speeds of up to 35 knots.
The weaponry of this marine drone also looks quite original: eight anti-aircraft missiles in a vertical launcher located in the central part of the hull, and 24 launchers for kamikaze drones located in the side of the hull. At the same time, it is claimed that this unmanned ship A2000 will allegedly also be able to conduct reconnaissance with the help of reconnaissance UAVs, and its design will allow it to be “invisible” to enemy radars.
It is not yet known whether China plans to produce such unmanned surface ships for itself or whether this is just an export-oriented development. But this project itself is interesting at least as a “technology demonstrator” in terms of the future development of multi-purpose unmanned vehicles.
