
![]() |
| (Jinghai 1 unmanned ship on display. Photo: Xinhua) |
More unmanned Chinese ships are expected to be deployed to domestic and international waters including the South China Sea and the Antarctic for oceanic survey and patrol missions, state media has reported.
Founded in 2010, the Research Institute of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Engineering at Shanghai University, which is also China's first USV development institute, has been providing a series of independently designed unmanned ships coded “Jinghai,” Xinhua News Agency reported.
In 2013, Jinghai 1 helped to conduct an oceanic and geological survey of Xisha and Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, while Jinghai 2 traveled with Chinese icebreaker Xuelong to Antarctica in 2014 to help with underwater detection and mapping, according to Xinhua. Research and development of Jinghai 7 is currently underway.
Additional unmanned ships could shoulder more responsibilities in the near future, including surveying and mapping coastal areas, maritime search and rescue, offshore patrol, anti-smuggling and sea route protection. Experts also noted that the ships could participate in more missions near ports and oil drilling rigs, according to Xinhua.
Apart from Shanghai University, several other universities and institutes under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have also joined the USV research and development process, Xinhua noted.
Girl goes viral for finger-long toes
Five made-in-China hi-tech breakthroughs
HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to open to traffic
China opens its first combined transport service to Nepal
Students take stylish bikini graduations photos
Charming dancing students pose for graduation photos
Guizhou, Yunnan section of Shanghai-Kunming railway connected
Naked models transformed into landscapes, birds and even DRAGONS by body painting artist
World’s biggest cruise ship Harmony of the Seas to start maiden voyage
Top 20 hottest women in the world in 2014
Top 10 hardest languages to learn
10 Chinese female stars with most beautiful faces
China’s Top 10 Unique Bridges, Highways and Roads
Can Duterte decide Manila’s China policy?
Heroic rescue operations in flooded areas
A draft amendment triggers off worries about surge of Islamic extremism
Travel packages from China to South America swell tenfold as the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games draws nearDay|Week