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Unmanned underwater vehicle, ship, minelaying system make debut at China's V-Day parade

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun, Fan Wei and Liang Rui Published: Sep 03, 2025 12:25 PM

Multiple types of unmanned maritime combat systems made their debut at China's V-Day military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, with their strikingly futuristic designs capturing widespread attention.

A military affairs experts told the Global Times that they have highly intelligent and information-based features, possessing the ability to conduct armed reconnaissance missions at sea, and their commissioning are expected to revolutionize maritime combat patterns and provide new assistance for safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as achieving national reunification.

In the maritime unmanned combat formations, new-type unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), unmanned ship, and unmanned mine-laying system are all reviewed for the first time. These unmanned maritime combat systems possess capabilities such as covert deployment for blockade operations, autonomous detection and identification, and swarm networking for coordinated attacks, making them formidable assets in naval warfare.

"Unmanned surface vessels typically feature highly intelligent capabilities. Compared to traditional manned combat ships, they are smaller in size, faster in speed, lower in manufacturing costs, and can reduce the risk of casualties among combat personnel," military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times. He noted that the newly debuted unmanned vessel, with their compact size and stealth technology, can significantly lower the probability of detection by maritime surveillance radars.

"The unmanned ship can perform maritime combat missions such as intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and surveillance, target verification, and long-range raids. They serve as 'sea sentinels' for reconnaissance and early warning tasks, acting as powerful tools for achieving integrated maritime surveillance and strike capabilities," Zhang said. "Furthermore, this type of unmanned vessel boasts high levels of informatization. Leveraging advanced communication technologies, they can execute networked swarm attacks and coordinate operations with other surface vessels."

The UUV displayed at the parade resembles a miniature submarine in appearance. Zhang said that some UUVs effectively function as unmanned submarines, yet they offer lower production costs compared to submarines, they reduce the risk of combat personnel casualties, and enable mass deployment.

"A common application for UUVs is reconnaissance missions, such as deploying them near enemy shipping lanes for intelligence gathering and surveillance. However, many modern UUVs have evolved into versatile underwater combat assets capable of performing tasks like underwater mine hunting, mine laying, and anti-submarine warfare," Zhang said.

Against adversaries relying on submarine-based maritime operations, deploying the UUV along critical shipping lanes enables routine reconnaissance during peacetime and can guide anti-submarine attack during conflict. Possessing such a type of UUV can also facilitate blockade of vital maritime corridors, and leveraging advanced communication technology. It can also coordinate with other unmanned combat groups to carry out long-range strikes, Zhang added.

"This is a revolutionary piece of equipment that transforms the nature of underwater warfare, and it represents the direction of naval military equipment development efforts for many nations. Clearly, China has taken the lead globally in the research, development, and operational application of unmanned underwater vehicles," Zhang said.

The unmanned mine-laying system is another achievement of innovative development of new combat forces. Zhang said that this type of unmanned equipment at sea can stealthily navigate to enemy military ports, waterways that ships must pass through, or sea areas where high-intensity confrontations may occur. It can be used to lay mines, block enemy ships, restrict their activities, and cut off enemy sea lanes.

"The Chinese military's maritime unmanned equipment, represented by these three types of unmanned systems, is expected to revolutionize the way we conduct maritime operations and is a concentrated manifestation of our new combat capabilities," Zhang said. "The deployment and application of these maritime unmanned equipment will significantly enhance the Chinese military's maritime defense capabilities, enrich the means of safeguarding national sovereignty, defending territorial integrity, and achieving national reunification."