While the world's attention was glued to China's large aircraft carrier, no one noticed that a "tiny" ship, only 1/10 the size of a conventional carrier, had secretly completed its first combat test at sea!

Western satellites were initially taken aback by it. Some said it looked like a scaled-down 075 amphibious assault ship, while others guessed it was a test ship from a private enterprise. It wasn't until the CCTV military channel exposed footage of it taking off and landing drones that the foreign media website "The War Zone" exclaimed: This is a "big killer" hidden by the Chinese Navy, specifically designed to rewrite future naval warfare!

First, clarify: What kind of ship is this?

Don't be deceived by the nickname "mini-carrier," it's not a toy. By comparing deck markings and hull features, we can confirm that it's a dedicated test ship launched by Jiangsu Oceans Shipyard in 2022. It's 100 meters long and 25 meters wide, slightly larger than a football field. The bridge is deliberately placed near the bow, freeing up more deck space for drones.

Previously, some guessed it was the mysterious ship with three superstructures from China Shipbuilding Corporation, but after careful comparison, it's clear they are completely different. This "mini-ship" is specifically designed for drones, with a trapezoidal area on the deck specially designed as a takeoff and landing assistance zone.

Three core purposes: Not just a "drone testing platform"

Many people think it's just to test whether drones can take off at sea, but that would be too simple. In fact, this ship is a mobile "naval warfare innovation laboratory," doing three things that change the game:

The "Cradle" of Drone "Swarm"

It's ten times harder to take off and land drones at sea than on land. The ship is moving, the wind is changing, and even a slight mistake can result in a crash. This ship allows engineers to repeatedly experiment and make mistakes: Are the drone's automatic takeoff and landing algorithms effective? Are the deck mooring devices strong enough? Will communication with the warship be interrupted? The AR-500CJ unmanned helicopter tested this time is there to test these basics.

More importantly, its open deck can accommodate several different types of drones at once, whether helicopters or fixed-wing ones. This is equivalent to a "swarm training ground," where commanders can practice controlling dozens of drones simultaneously, some for reconnaissance, some for attacks, and some for interference, surrounding the enemy completely.

Sailors on board are also specially trained. How to charge drones, load weapons, and quickly repair them in a small space are all essential courses for China's first generation of "drone sailors."

"Professional Practice Partner" for the Main Fleet

In modern warfare, just practicing yourself isn't enough; you need a strong "imaginary enemy." This ship is the "blue force" training partner for the navy's main fleet, specifically conducting "simulated attacks."

It can carry a bunch of low-cost drones to simulate an enemy's saturation attack. Like dozens of enemy planes coming at once, forcing destroyers and frigates' air defense systems to work at full capacity. This kind of air defense capability is much more practical than just showing off in a training ground.

Even more intense, it can "team up and cause trouble." It often acts together with electronic warfare barges and twin-hull drone motherships. Drones act as "attack aircraft," while electronic warfare barges interfere with radar, creating a complex battlefield environment that allows the main fleet to practice real skills in realistic combat scenarios.

"Information Hub" for Future Naval Warfare

The real value of drones is not how many bombs they carry, but rather acting as "air reconnaissance scouts" and "signal stations." This ship is a platform that maximizes this value.

For example, if the AR-500CJ is equipped with an electronic jamming pod, it can fly into dangerous airspace as an "electronic warfare sentinel," secretly detecting the enemy's radar and communication signals, and even interfering with them, while the mother ship stays safely out of harm's way to direct operations.

It's also a "data processing center." Once the video captured by drones and radar signals are transmitted back, the mother ship uses large antennas and powerful computing power to analyze them and then sends the information to the fleet or coastal command centers. This way, the entire fleet's "eyes" and "ears" are extended, allowing them to see further and react faster.

This is essentially targeting the U.S. concept of a "distributed kill chain." Instead of putting all functions on a large aircraft carrier, it spreads them across smaller platforms. Even if some are lost, it won't affect overall combat effectiveness, greatly improving survival capabilities.

The Small Body Hides a Big Chess Game: This Is the Most Important Point

Some may ask, can such a small ship compete with a regular aircraft carrier? Actually, it's not here to "compare sizes," but to "open new paths."

China's drone technology has always been world-class, and now building a special ship to train for drone warfare is like turning "technological advantage" into "tactical advantage." Moreover, it's low cost and low risk, making it possible to boldly experiment with new technologies and tactics.

More importantly, this isn't an isolated case. The Jiangsu Oceans Shipyard, which built this ship, has also constructed several other specialized platforms, such as twin-hull drone motherships, forming a complete system for testing drone combat. Plus, the recent exposure of the navy version of the stealth drone "Lijian" clearly indicates preparations for a larger aircraft carrier.

Therefore, the trial run of this 100-meter "mini-carrier" carries more significance than the launching of a new aircraft carrier. It marks that the Chinese Navy has started to build up "unmanned naval warfare," which is precisely the core competitiveness of the future maritime battlefield.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569555620941005362/

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