OFF THE RADAR

China develops new ‘transformer’ warship that can sink beneath the waves to become a stealth SUBMARINE

Military leaders are testing two major designs - and both submersibles would be armed with hundreds of missiles

    

baoxiuyuan   

With two distinctive conning towers, this arsenal ship can dive under the waves or move across the water at high speeds

GIGANTIC new warships which can sink beneath the waves and become lethal stealth submarines to avoid detection and obliterate enemies from long range are being developed by China, according to reports.

These “transformer” warships would be capable of carrying hundreds of missiles which could be fired at land and sea targets.

NSFC   

The submersible cruiser warship could also speed through the waves with ease thanks to its flat hull bottom

CCTV    

A four metre long model of the high-speed submersible has been tested on open water, with footage shown on state television

Chinese institutions are conducting studies on the enormous submersibles based on two design concepts, reported the Popular Science website.
“Submerging all or even most of a large warship would reduce its radar and visual signature, as well as protect it against most missile threats,” said Popular Science.
One of the arsenal warships would have “much of its hull submerged” with only the bridge and a few other parts above the waterline.

   

       

     

When travelling with a large navy taskforce, the warship will stay above water and use its flat hull bottom to “cut across the waves like a speedboat” at high-speed.
The other warship would have the capabilities to be “completely submerged” with two conning towers packed with snorkels, periscopes and communications antennae.
Most of its voyage will take place on the surface and it will submerge shortly before combat in the same manner as a WW2 submarine.

CCTV   

Professor Dong Wen Cai, a now deceased Chinese hydrodynamics expert, shows a sketch of a submersible warship with a flat hull

Popular Science reports that since 2011 tests have been held on miniature models of the warships, including open-water studies of the hydroplane warship which were later aired on state television.
The website claims a full scale warship is under construction and could be launched in 2020.
China is also developing a spy plane called Caihong which can stay airborne at “near space” levels for months and reached 65,000ft in altitude during a top-secret test flight.
Experts have also warned China is constructing an underwater observation unit capable of spying on warships.

China's solar-powered plane reaches new high of 20,000m making it perfect for spying

News of the hi-tech warships and planes comes amid growing tensions between North Korea and USA.
China was an ally of the despot regime but has been trying to build bridges with America.
President Donald Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to Florida for crunch talks in April - but threatened he would "act alone" in tackling Kim Jong-un.
A worrying recent statement from North Korea’s state news agency slammed its neighbour China for getting too friendly with the United States.
Military leaders in China revealed they were testing their latest missile-laden destroyer in waters close to North Korea in April.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula increased so much last month that China told its citizens living in North Korea to leave the hermit kingdom.
(The Sun, UK)