PLA may use Haiyan UUV against Vietnamese frogmen
Staff Reporter 2014-06-29 16:00 (GMT+8)
Amid ongoing tensions between China and Vietnam over the disputed South China Sea, the People's Liberation Army will likely deploy the Haiyan autonomous underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) to hunt for enemy combat divers (frogmen) and prevent the special forces from sabotaging Chinese oil rigs in the region, reports the state-run China Internet Information Center.
The Haiyan UUV was originally designed by researchers from northern China's Tianjin University as a civilian platform and its primary mission is to conduct scientific exploration of marine biology, seabeds and to aid search and rescue operations, according to the state-run China News Service. The researchers have close ties with the PLA Navy, however, and it is possible that the Haiyan may be deployed to the battlefield in the future.
The UUV can last underwater for 30 days, has a range of 1,000 kilometers and is capable of reaching a depth of 1,094 meters. The Haiyan can thus be used for missions like minehunting and salvage surveys, while it can also detect the movement of enemy frogmen and submarine. If equipped with weapon systems, the Haiyan would be capable of striking against Vietnamese frogmen attempting to close in on Chinese oil rigs in the disputed waters.
Frogmen of the People's Navy of Vietnam have already been deployed to place fishing nets and floating objects around the controversial Haiyang Shiyou 981 platform in the Paracel (Xisha to China) islands to disrupt the Chinese operation, reports China's nationalistic Global Times tabloid.
Meanwhile, the PLA Navy may also opt to purchase or construct a larger version of the Haiyan and deploy in large numbers to prevent any future disruption.
China Tests Long Range Unmanned Mini Sub
2014-06-29 10:47:15 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Jiang
Tianjin University researchers and engineers test the Haiyan, China's first underwater gliding UUV. [File Photo: Chinanews.com]
Researchers with China's Tianjin University have completed a test of the autonomous underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV), named "Haiyan," in the South China Sea, the Qingdao News reports.
During the test, the vehicle worked consecutively for 21 days and reached a depth of 1,094 meters. With an endurance of 30 days, the torpedo-shaped vessel moves at a maximum underwater speed of close to six kilometers per hour.
It has a length of 1.8 meters and a diameter of 0.3 meters, with a weight of about 70 kilograms.
The Haiyan is currently a civilian vessel, targeted for purposes of scientific exploration of marine biology, seabeds and to aid search-and-rescue missions.
However, the UUV can be upgraded to serve as an underwater combat and patrol vessel, taking on lengthy and dangerous missions like minesweeping and submarine detection, and offer protection for Chinese ships and oil platforms. http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/06/...189s833737.htm
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