Silent Underwater Intruder in the Taiwan Strait: China's 'Lan Jing' Submersible Unmanned Vessel Emerges, U.S. Think Tank Warns of New Gray-Zone Offensive

Launched in April last year in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, and now undergoing full-system testing this year, China's new 'Lan Jing' high-speed submersible unmanned vessel (SUV) is officially categorized by Beijing as a civilian oceanic meteorological probe to advance its national 'Transparent Ocean' strategy. However, with capabilities including 36-knot surface speed, 60-meter diving depth, and silent submersion for over 30 days, U.S. and Taiwanese security strategists warn it could serve as a new tool for the People's Liberation Army to build underwater intelligence networks and conduct gray-zone infiltration operations.

According to a paper published in the journal 'Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research (OLAR)' by Wu Guosong, Chief Engineer of Zhuhai Yunzhou Intelligent Technology's submersible unmanned vessel program, and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, this 11-meter-long, 12-ton unmanned vessel features a novel monohull design with a broad lower surface and minimal lift angle. On the surface, dual propellers and a waterjet propulsion system enable speeds up to 36 knots (approximately 66 km/h), fast enough to keep pace with most of the U.S. and Taiwan's main surface combat vessels.