China’s Yunzhou Tech, a cutting-edge company specializing in the development of advanced autonomous solutions for military and civilian watercraft, has developed unmanned drone boats for military use. These autonomous watercraft are intended for siege and expulsion operations in Chinese waters. The boats are equipped with swarm intelligence technology, allowing them to engage in cooperative confrontations with unwanted surface ships, either to besiege or expel them. The boats are expected to protect the South China Sea from unwanted ships, but there are concerns that China may use its military drones in other waters as well.
The dispute over the South China Sea’s maritime boundaries has been ongoing for years, with neighboring countries vying for control over fish stocks, suspected gas and oil reserves, and the security of shipping routes. China currently controls 22 small islands, eight sandbanks, and ten sunken atolls and reefs in the South China Sea, claiming a vast area of the sea as its own territory. Yunzhou Tech has been using its unmanned boats for various purposes for over a decade, including water sampling, oceanographic research, and security patrols of China’s claimed “bases” in the South China Sea.
The latest generation of autonomous precision swarm drones will be used for the direct defense of China’s disputed territorial waters. These drones will be able to exchange sensor data, form “drone walls” to track intruders, and perform interception maneuvers. They can also make autonomous decisions as a group. Yunzhou Tech has been improving its software for coordinating drone swarms for years and set the world record for the largest swarm of autonomous watercraft in 2018 with 56 boats.
The use of autonomous drone boats for military purposes raises concerns about the potential for conflict in the South China Sea and beyond. The development of this technology highlights the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare and the need for international regulations to govern their use.
