China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) has launched the first unit in a new series of catamaran-type unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed for naval use.
The first USV in the multi-purpose unmanned combat boat series developed by CSIC and Jiangsu Automation Research Institute (JARI) has a length of 15 metres, a beam of 4.8 metres, a draught of 1.8 metres, a displacement of 20 tonnes, a design speed of 42 knots, and an expected range of 500 nautical miles.
The USV may be armed with a 30-millimetre autocannon, torpedoes, laser-guided rockets, and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
