China Unveils a New Unmanned Warship, The “Killer Whale”

Earlier this year, a unique new ship was spotted at the Guangzhou Shipyard in China. Recently, this unmanned ship, called the “Killer Whale,” made its first public appearance at the Zhuhai Airshow. This advanced ship is a type of warship called a “trimaran,” with three hulls, making it stable and fast on the water.

The Killer Whale ship is smaller than typical warships but comes packed with modern technology. It is about 190 feet long, weighs between 300 and 500 tons, and can reach speeds of up to 40 knots (about 46 miles per hour). Even without a crew, this ship has a range of 4,000 nautical miles, allowing it to travel far distances for long missions.

The Killer Whale is designed to carry different types of weapons, including antiship missiles, antiaircraft missiles, and torpedoes. It even has a special landing spot at the back for a helicopter drone, which can fly off and return, adding even more capability to its missions.

One of the most interesting things about the Killer Whale is that it uses a “modular mission package” concept. This means the ship can be loaded with different types of weapons and tools depending on the mission it needs to complete, like hunting submarines or patrolling for enemy ships. This concept was first used in the 2010s by the U.S. Navy on its Littoral Combat Ship. But unlike the U.S. Navy’s ships, which had some difficulties with the “swappable” design, the Killer Whale seems ready to put this idea to good use.

This new Chinese ship can handle many different tasks, such as patrolling, surface warfare, anti-submarine missions, and air defense. It can even be reconfigured to do search and rescue operations or survey the battlefield. Local news calls it an “all-around warrior,” able to take on a wide variety of tasks.

Although it is meant to operate without a crew, the Killer Whale has a noticeable bridge area, meaning it could possibly carry a small team of people if needed. Naval experts noticed that this design looks a lot like Indonesia’s Klewang-class attack craft, which is also a fast and narrow ship, though the Killer Whale has more range and can carry more weight.

For the last two years, China has been showcasing small models and illustrations of the Killer Whale at defense trade shows under the program name “JARI-USV-A.” Last month, satellite images of a full-size prototype were seen at Guangzhou Shipyard, showing that China is advancing quickly in the development of unmanned naval technology.

This new ship gives the PLA Navy a cutting-edge tool for various ocean missions, signaling a major step forward in China’s military technology.