Beijing, August 16, 2025 – China is preparing to publicly show off a new and hugely unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) during the exercises of the upcoming military parade.
Pictures published on Weibo show a very large torpedo -shaped drone that is transported on a platform, which confirms the physical existence of the system.
So far, Chinese authorities have neither officially named the project nor revealed technical details, but experts already compare the concept of Russian Poseidon, also known as Status-6-a long-range nuclear torpedo presented by Vladimir Putin in 2019 as part of his “super weapons”.
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Possible progress and capacity
Reports from South China Morning Post indicate that Beijing is researching underwater systems with disposable nuclear propulsion, able to maintain a speed of over 30 knots (about 55 km/h) for up to 200 hours. After this time, the reactor will be released to the seabed, and the vessel will continue to operate on batteries, possibly for conventional attacks.
However, it is still uncertain whether the new Chinese UUV will be designed to carry nuclear or conventional warheads, or whether it will act as a platform for monitoring and strategic deterrence.
Comparisons and mystery
While the Russian Poseidon was designed to cover thousands of miles and attack coastal goals with nuclear warheads, it is unclear whether Beijing seeks to copy this capacity or develop an underwater weapon in another class.
Nuclear physicist Guo Jian at China’s Institute of Atomic Energy stated in a scientific article that there are “significant differences” between the Chinese project and Poseidon, without revealing further details.
The vessels seen under the preparations for the parade, some identified as AJX002, confirm that China is moving towards the production of large unmanned underwater vessels (XLUUVs). Without official information, the real task of this new weapon remains enveloped in mystery.
Sources and pictures: Navalnews | Defense-blog.com | X @nickatgreat1220. This content was created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial staff.
