Zhu Hai Yun
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Chinese 88 m autonomous research ship built as a mothership that launches and recovers swarms of air, surface, and underwater drones.
Zhu Hai Yun is an 88.5 m autonomous research ship that China presents as the world's first drone mothership. Built by CSSC's Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding and delivered in 2023 to a Zhuhai marine-science laboratory, it has a 14 m beam, displaces about 2,000 tonnes, and reaches 18 knots on a diesel-electric plant driving two azimuth pods. Its large open stern deck and two A-frames carry and launch dozens of aerial drones, uncrewed boats, and underwater vehicles that together map and monitor a three-dimensional section of ocean tens of nautical miles across. In trials it navigated autonomously for 12 hours with obstacle avoidance and path planning, while a crew can take over for port manoeuvres. China describes it as a science vessel, but its ability to deploy coordinated drone swarms has drawn defence interest.
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Built by CSSC subsidiary Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding and operated by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai); Yunzhou Tech is credited with autonomy work. Published figures: 88.5 m length, 14 m beam, 3.7 m draught, about 2,000 tonnes displacement, diesel-electric with azimuth pods, 18 kn maximum. Chinese sources describe it as a research vessel; Western analysts note its military potential.
