China is Working on a Game Changing Battle Ship
China is working on what could be a game changing battle ship. It contains everything you would normally see on a battle ship but it has the ability to do something no battle ship has ever done before. It can submerge. It can stay underwater until it spots a ripe target the emerge from the water, catching it’s prey unawares.
The Chinese government is reportedly working to develop a revolutionary new warship that would merge the size and strength of large conventional ships with the ability to submerge underwater.
In an article for Popular Science, Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer wrote there are reports “circulating on Chinese websites—including the Wuhan city government site—mention that Chinese institutions are conducting studies on gigantic submersible arsenal ships.”
According to Lin and Singer, there are two different concepts being developed. One is for a large, high-speed warship with a mostly-submerged hull. The second is for a warship that would be almost completely submerged. Both designs involve ships that would displace about 20,000 tons.
The versality of the submersible warship would make it one of the most powerful weapons in the world. It would be able to cruise above water at extremely fast speeds by hydroplaning in a manner similar to a speedboat or submerge most of the ship to hide from enemies or shield itself from attacks. It would have the capacity to carry hundreds of missile launchers that could strike targets in the air or on land.
According to the Popular Science report, there are “unverified rumors” suggesting a full-scale “proof-of-concept” is now being constructed for use after 2020.
Newsweek reported on Saturday the idea for a similar vessel was first considered by the U.S. Navy in the 1990s, “but funding proved a major obstacle.”
In March, The Hill reported the top officer for the U.S. Navy said the United States “must get to work now” on building more ships and developing innovative designs.
