China is developing large, smart and relatively cheap robotic submarines that can roam the oceans and perform a wide variety of missions, from reconnaissance to suicide attacks against enemy vessels. The submarines are powered by Artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The aim of these submarines is not the replace human-operated underwater vessels, it is aimed at supplementing it in challenging Western naval power after World War II. South China Morning Post reported that the unmanned submarines are mainly aimed at United States forces in strategic waters like the South China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, according to researchers.
The project is part of the governments plan to boost China’s naval power with AI technology. Researchers are also developing an AI-assisted support system for submarine commanders.
The new unmanned submarines will join other autonomous or manned systems on water, land and orbit to carry out missions, as reported by the South China Morning Post, quoting researchers.
The submarines will have absolutely no human operators on board, they will be fully autonomous. They may establish periodic contact with the commander center for updates, however they are fully capable of completing their missions and returning to base entirely on their own.
The South China Morning Post also mentioned that researches emphasize that AI subs have their limits, specifically at the early stages of development. The purpose is not to completely replace human crews. Furthermore, the decision to attack or not also falls into the hands of a human.
The day-to-day decisions, according to the Daily Mail, will be performed by the submarine. It will completely autonomously make decisions regarding navigating the ocean, changing course and depth to avoid detection, determining the difference between enemy and civilian vessels, as well as the best path to reach a destination.
An interview was conducted by South China Morning Post with Lin Yang, who runs the 912 project, a classified program for the development of new-generation military underwater robots by 2021. He called the unmanned submarine programme a countermeasure against similar weapons under intensive development in the US. He, however, refused to elaborate on technical specifications, due to them being “sensitive” information.
The US has made a deal with two major defence contractors: Orca and Boeing. The contracts are for the development of two prototype Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles.
The South China Morning Post also reported that an anonymous researcher involved in another Chinese project claims that the submarine will not be nuclear-armed.
US is already on this lol china late as usual!
But China is doing it for pennies on the dollar, compared to the ultra expensive U.S. R&D and deployment.
The Chinese are building a massive amount of warships in leaps and bounds. It has the industrial output unmatched in the world. I wouldn’t underestimate them.
Lol no way can some cheap Chinese crap can ever be better than American made ! They can’t even get their stealth right without hacking into our databases ?
You are soooo correct. My American made cell phone is so much better than any Chin… uh scrap that. My American made computer is so much better than any Chin…uh scrap that. My American made watch is so much better than any Chin… uh scrap that. My American made boots are so much better than any Chin… uh scrap that. My American grown food is so much better than any Mexi… uh scrap that… At least my fabulous American made stereo system… well huh…
You mean like the F-35, knicknamed the ‘ flying garbage truck ‘ . Or the U.S.S. Zumwalt, that broke down and had to be towed in by tugboat all the way from the Panama canal? Or the lousy patriot missile system that misfires as the resent video from Saud Arabia showed.
Dude, guys in flip-flops and bed-sheets , armed with AK-47’s and a few IED’s are still running you guys ragged after 17 years in Afghanistan.
Last I checked the afghan troops are now in charge and they can’t handle it!
Afghan troops are in semi-charge, with enormous logistical help from the U.S. / NATO.
Afghanistan is unconquerable, as is Yemen. You see, the Afghan Pashtun, whom the Taliban draw their reserves and support from, are the largest tribal society in the world. 30+ million strong, in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Same with Yemen and Libya, Tribal societies are most difficult to fight against.
Even Alexander the Great saw the Afghans and wanted nothing to do with them, he simply went around them.
For the US military to be completely defeated all it would take is one more contract with Lockheed Martin. The F35 alone almost has done it.
F35 is going to replace a lot of older fighters and make things easier and cheaper but you terrorists don’t know any of that
Read, learn, grow….
‘IT’S INHERENTLY A TERRIBLE AIRPLANE’
The Designer Of The F-16 Explains Just How Stupid The F-35 Is
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Aviation
At this point we’ve seen tons of stories describing how the F-35 project is nothing short of a clusterf*ck. Although the video is from last year, there’s something about Pierre Sprey’s bluntness that makes you realize just how misguided the entire endeavor has been.
Lockheed heeded (no pun) the requirements given to them and produced the best one to satisfy that requirement.
For the same price that the US produces an AI submarine, China will produce 100. For every AI American Submarine, China will have 100 swarming around it.
Lol keep dreaming
Let’s see now… unmanned, AI-controlled subs without any real-time communications… fleets of US and Russian nuclear-armed subs potentially operating in same waters… Yeah, what could possibly go f’king wrong?
Why, absolutely nothing, good sir. Please ignore this AI we’re installing to oversee all nuclear arsenals from Cyberdyne Systems.
They’re trigger locked by this article statement but then they’d become an easy picking for capture. Drone or other remotely controlled machine always vulnerable to jamming and hacks. A.I advancement can increase it’s resistance against such measure but not completely.
I think whole other country already have such probing equipment deployed in the largest seabed they can think of secretly.