Satellite imagery has revealed that China is constructing the world's first underwater mothership designed to launch and recover large autonomous submarine drones, known as XXLUUVs (extra-extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicles). The vessel, under construction at a Shanghai shipyard, represents a significant advancement in China's naval capabilities and underscores its strategic focus on maritime operations. Defence experts assess that the mothership will be capable of carrying four of these massive drones across vast ocean distances, constituting a new form of underwater warfare capability.

The autonomous submarines in question measure 35 to 45 metres in length—roughly six to eight times larger than the US Navy's Boeing Orca XLUUV, which is approximately 16 metres long. These Chinese drones have already undergone testing in the South China Sea off Hainan and are believed capable of carrying substantial payloads over distances exceeding 10,000 nautical miles. China's shipbuilding capacity is estimated to be at least 200 times greater than that of the United States, with China currently operating approximately 405 warships compared to America's 295. The development reflects China's broader military expansion, particularly given geopolitical tensions surrounding Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly all islands despite opposition from neighbouring nations and Taiwan itself.