China launches vessels potentially designed to support large UUVs

Vantor imagery shows a new vessel at Hudong Changxingdao shipyard in China. The vessel is assessed to potentially support the operation of unmanned submarines. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor/© 2026 Janes)

Commercial satellite imagery and Chinese social-media images indicate that two large vessels with specialised stern-handling arrangements have emerged from shipyards in Shanghai and southern China.

The features raise the possibility that the vessels are intended to support large uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).

Commercial satellite imagery captured on 14 October shows the larger vessel afloat alongside the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai.

Earlier imagery showed the vessel under construction at the same location in mid-September 2026, suggesting that it was launched between the two observations.

A second, smaller vessel appears in an image circulated on the Chinese social-media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote. The image shows the vessel under tow on what appears to be a river.

Historical satellite imagery examined by Janes indicates that the second vessel was constructed on Longxue Island, near Guangzhou. An examination of the social-media images found no obvious signs of digital manipulation.

The larger vessel measures approximately 204 m in length and 30 m in beam, according to measurements derived from satellite imagery.

It has a large forward superstructure, an extensive mission area extending towards the stern, and a flat deck immediately abaft the superstructure that could potentially support aviation operations.

The stern features a large opening and several vertical structures that may form part of a launch-and-recovery system (LARS) for UUVs.

One possible configuration would involve a mechanical cradle lowered into the water to facilitate the deployment and recovery of underwater vehicles.

However, the precise function of the stern structures has not been independently confirmed.