A second Chinese vessel designed to launch and recover uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) has emerged, this time at a shipyard in Guangzhou, according to imagery circulating on Chinese social media and analyzed by defense publications. The new ship, spotted in the Pearl River near the Panyu district, is smaller than a similar vessel first reported under construction in Shanghai in September 2026, but shares the same distinctive features: a stern well deck, lifting masts, and a hangar behind the forward superstructure.
The Shanghai vessel, built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard on Changxing Island, is slightly over 200 meters long and features twelve lifting masts in two rows of different heights. The Guangzhou ship is roughly a third smaller, with an estimated length closer to 150 meters, and has only six masts of similar height. Both are believed to be motherships for very large UUVs, potentially up to 50 meters in length, which would make them the largest known military UUVs in the world, according to Naval News.
The Guangzhou vessel was likely built at the COMEC shipyard (formerly Guangzhou Shipyard International) on Longxue Island, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, based on archival satellite imagery from October 2, 2026, showing the ship in a covered graving yard before launch. The ship is still missing all sensor and communication equipment and is being towed for fitting-out, with at least two other yards belonging to Huangpu further up-river as plausible candidates to finish the fitting-out work.
The emergence of two such vessels in quick succession underscores China’s significant investment in UUV technology, according to The War Zone. The publication notes that a growing fleet of these motherships would have increasing tactical and strategic importance, enabling the deployment of large numbers of UUVs far from Chinese shores. Large UUVs can be used for tasks ranging from sea floor mapping to hunting submarines, laying mines, launching cruise missiles, or serving as weapons themselves.
The U.S. Navy has no similar vessel in its inventory, and launch and recovery of large UUVs remains a conceptual work in progress for the U.S., The War Zone reported. The second ship’s appearance follows reports that China is evaluating at least two very large UUV designs between 35 and 45 meters in length.
Observers speculate that these vessels may be part of a larger program that could see more ships constructed, which would indicate the utility of these motherships will extend beyond testing and limited operational use, according to The War Zone. Further assessment of the Guangzhou ship’s purpose will require more detailed imagery, Naval News noted.
Sources: DoD News · Defence Blog