China Builds New Drones That Can Fly and Operate Underwater

What Happened?

Chinese engineers have developed a new submarine-launched drone capable of flying and operating underwater, providing a first of its kind multi-media capability for unmanned vehicles.

The drone utilizes a foldable wing design with fins that can retract for underwater use and expand mechanically to serve as wings during aerial operations.

China has named the new drones ‘Feiyi,’ and while the number in operation remains unknown, working prototypes have already been built.

Why it Matters

The term unmanned vehicle is actually a misnomer, since all currently existing drones are remotely operated.

That means there is a human at the controls, but the controller is geographically and physically separated from the drone itself. Most drones in use today are for aerial operations, but in the last five years ground and water drones have been growing in number and sophistication.

China’s development of a multi-media drone that can fly and operate underwater provides several advantages.

First, such a drone would be capable of conducting a wide range of missions, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack.

Second, the ability of a drone to fly then dive underwater would make countermeasures more difficult to implement, since most are built around a specific type of operation. 

Anti-aircraft weapons wouldn’t work on a drone that goes underwater, for example. Third, being submarine launched would extend the operational range of the drone, since most can only fly as far as their power source allows. Feiyi could move through the ocean onboard a sub before being deployed far beyond its flight or swim only range.

According to Interesting Engineering:

‘The project team, led by Northwestern Polytechnical Institute associate professor Dong Changyin, maintains that the drone, with the support of artificial intelligence technology, can autonomously complete “certain missions with specific requirements.” By contrast, the drones  planned to be used by the US military need to be transported to the surface in a torpedo-like tube and have no mobility under water. Then, after leaving the sea, they must stay in the air, so they are more susceptible to attack, according to South China Morning Post.’

The Center for New American Security issued a report recently that predicted a future conflict between China and Taiwan would likely see the use of novel drones with advanced features and increased autonomy.

The appearance of just such a new drone in China’s arsenal adds credence to the Center for New American Security’s findings.

How it Affects You

China has demonstrated an increasingly aggressive posture in the south Pacific, particularly towards Taiwan, which China regards as part of its own territory.

The development of new technologies which could help China prevail in a future conflict with Taiwan indicates that China could be ready to back up its bellicose political rhetoric with action.