China Develops Uncrewed Trimaran Submarine Designed To Carry Up To 18 Missiles

China is testing a new semi-submersible warship designed to carry multiple missiles and potentially operate without a crew, according to open-source analysis of the vessel. The platform has an unusual trimaran hull and is designed to surface before raising its missile tubes for launch.

The vessel is undergoing trials in Huludao on the Bohai Sea after being built in Guangzhou, southern China, and transported north through the port of Dalian earlier this year.

Satellite imagery and technical assessments suggest it could accommodate between 16 and 18 missile tubes, although the total number and intended weapons have not been officially confirmed.

The development adds another design to China’s expanding range of submarine and uncrewed naval platforms. However, the vessel has no publicly announced designation, and its operational role and status remain unclear.

The approximately 65-metre-long vessel was originally built at the Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou. Commercial satellite imagery showed it at Dalian on May 12, 2026, while subsequent observations indicate that it is now undergoing testing in Huludao.

The vessel has a central hull with two smaller hulls, or outriggers, positioned towards the stern. This trimaran configuration appears intended to improve stability while the vessel is on the surface, particularly when its missile tubes are raised for launch.

The central hull contains two large weapons compartments that appear to store missile tubes horizontally in circular arrangements. Open-source assessments indicate that at least eight tubes are present, with an estimated total of 16 to 18 if both compartments have similar configurations.

To launch its weapons, the vessel would need to surface, open the compartment doors and raise the tubes into a vertical or near-vertical position. The arrangement indicates that the missiles are intended to be launched from the surface rather than fired while the vessel remains submerged.

The vessel could carry anti-ship missiles or land-attack cruise missiles. One possible candidate is China’s YJ-20 hypersonic missile, which is associated with Type 055 cruisers and has also been reported as being launched from Type 052D destroyers. Its suitability for the new platform has not been confirmed.

Despite its ability to operate below the surface, the vessel appears to rely on diesel propulsion. A prominent snorkel mast allows air to reach its diesel engines while the vessel runs just below the water’s surface.

The central hull is expected to house the main propulsion system, which may use propellers or waterjets. The outriggers are fitted with ducted propellers that could be pumpjets, while separate electric propellers are believed to provide propulsion on the side hulls.

Dr Rachel Pawling, a ship design specialist and principal consultant at K39 Consulting, estimates the vessel’s submerged displacement at approximately 900 tonnes.

Pawling’s assessment suggests that the weapons compartments occupy most of the available internal volume, leaving little space for a crew. This has led to the assessment that the vessel is likely designed to operate without personnel during its missions.

However, the vessel has an open navigation bridge on top of its sail. One possible explanation is that the bridge is intended for a human pilot to control the vessel when entering or leaving port and manoeuvring in confined waters.

Its uncrewed status and the proposed role of the bridge have not been officially confirmed.

The YJ-20 is one of several potential weapons identified in open-source assessments of the vessel. The missile is associated with China’s Type 055 cruisers, while reports have also linked it to launches from Type 052D destroyers.

Open-source estimates put the YJ-20’s range at approximately 1,000 to 1,500 km (620 to 930 miles). It is designed to engage sea and land targets.

The vessel’s launch arrangement suggests that its weapons would need to be suitable for firing from a surfaced platform. However, China has not confirmed which missiles the vessel is designed to carry, and its launch capacity and weapons configuration remain estimates.

The design differs from conventional submarines that can launch weapons while submerged. Instead, the vessel appears to combine submersible movement with a requirement to surface before deploying its missiles.

References: navalnews, militarnyi