There have been “Revolutions in Military Affairs” (RMAs) over the ages. RMAs are pivot points when something changes warfare dramatically. In the naval arena, one of the most memorable RMAs was the introduction of the HMS Dreadnaught in 1906.
It was said, “Dreadnought made every other existing battleship obsolete, and her name became generic for similar fast, modern vessels. All battleships laid down before her were pejoratively labeled “pre-dreadnought.”
The Chinese Navy (PLAN) has revealed a new vessel that may represent the modern, naval “Dreadnaught” moment. The “Killer Whale” (or Orca), autonomous surface combat vessel has recently been shown in China, cruising on the river from its Guangzhou Shipyard.
This vessel is the largest military purpose USV built to date. It is little coincidence that Guangzhou was the location of the shipyard.
Guangzhou is the Silicon Valley region of China, and the Orca is not just an autonomous warship, but a floating combat data center.
This vessel reflects significant data collection, data analysis, and AI-enabled autonomous actioning.
AI and Autonomy are trending topics, but the Orca is far ahead of any other AI-enabled, autonomous vessel publicly known to date.
Chinese Orca drone ship establishes a new high bar for naval drones
Ukraine has pioneered the use of smart, autonomous small naval drones to effectively destroy the Russian Black Sea Naval Forces.
Time and again, the Ukrainian craft has been successful, even when the Russian ships seek refuge deep into well-defended harbors. The Ukrainian vessels are programmed to work cooperatively to swarm their targets.
The U.S. Navy has created Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron (USVRON) One at Naval Base Ventura County, north of Los Angeles as the vanguard of U.S. Navy autonomous vessel operations.
The vessels are one off, experimental craft or modified, commercial work vessels. These are considered medium and large Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV).
USVRON Three has been established at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, CA which will focus on small USVs like those being used in Ukraine.
The PLAN Orca looks like a supersized “Sea Hunter” USV of the U.S. Navy. The Orca appears purpose built for combat operations at sea.
In contrast, the U.S. Navy’s large USVs look like converted offshore workboats. The Orca has built-in vertical missile launchers, a retractable cannon, sophisticated military-grade radars, sensors, and communication antennas, space for additional weapons stations, and a landing pad for a helicopter drone.
The Orca is ready for military operations such as a blockade, whereas the U.S. Navy USVs are still in the research and developmental phase. The contrast and different levels of maturity are quite noticeable.
Chinese Low Earth Orbit Satellites are the key enabler for autonomy – civil or military
The multiple sensors and antennas on the PLAN Orca are the heart and soul of what makes this vessel different. It has significant communication capabilities which means data flow.
AI needs data, data needs servers for data storage and processing. The Orca has ample internal space for servers and computer processers. The key enabler for data flow to and from the Orca is the 14,000-satellite Thousand Sails mega constellation China is placing in orbit.
These low-earth orbit satellites (LEO) will allow global direct communication to and from the Orca and other Chinese USVs ,including large submarine UUVs (Unmanned Undersea Vessels) that are being developed.
Laser communication between the Orca and the Thousand Sales is a possibility, which means communications that are hard to detect, intercept, or jam. The large number of LEO mini-satellites (mini-sats) are challenging to target and inexpensive to replace if necessary.
The mini-sats can potentially communicate within the constellation via laser all the way back to Shenzhen, the heart of China’s Silicon Valley in Guangzhou.
In Shenzhen, large, secure data centers can help collect, consolidate, analyze, and action the data necessary for the Orca to independently operate.
The trusted mini-sat link back to Shenzhen takes some of the burden off on-board computing storage and processing activities and ensures the focus of on-board computing is actioning the processed data via the learning AI algorithms.
The existing Orca is a significant upsizing of an earlier Chinese USV. The Orca is big enough to conduct long range operations and deployments with its estimated 4,000-mile range.
Chinese super-port in Peru provides a footprint in the Americas to support AI and Autonomy
An upsizing of the Orca with even longer range and more capabilities is possibly already in progress at the secret PLAN USV facility. The existing Orca has the range to travel to and conduct operations around the Solomon Islands which is being run by a CCP friendly government.
What the Orca and follow on USVs will need are logistic support and maintenance, which could be provided in the Solomons.
In the Americas, the Port of Chancay in Peru, is a Chinese funded super port that is arousing concern and suspicion that it is evolving into a dual use facility with logistic support and maintenance facility for the Chinese Navy.
Autonomous long range commercial container shipping is being developed and smaller Chinese container ships as feeder vessels are in service.
Chinese autonomous commercial vessels leverage similar levels of AI enabled autonomy like the Orca and will also utilize the Thousand Sails mini-sat constellation.
These autonomous Chinese feeder vessels will be instrumental in distributing smaller container shipments in the Americas from the ultra-large Chinese container ships unloading in Chancay.
With the Port of Chancay, the infrastructure will be in place to support and sustain civil and military autonomous vessels in the Americas. Chancay is just down the coast and to the left from the Panama Canal. No conspiracies, no coincidences.
All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.
This article first appeared in Epoch Times and was reprinted with permission.
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