China unveils world's fastest armed unmanned surface vehicle

China displayed a new armed unmanned surface vehicle (USV) during the All China Maritime Conference and Exhibition (Marintec China) held between December 5 and 8 in Shanghai, military publication Jane's Defense Weekly reported.

According to Science and Technology Daily, Tianxing-1, the new USV, with a full-load displacement of 7.5 tonnes, is 12.2 meters long and can reach speeds as fast as 92.6 kilometers per hour using a hybrid power source.

During the China Marine Economy Expo held between December 14 and 17, the vehicle's manufacturer told stdaily.com that the USV is the world's fastest so far based on the statistics they gathered.

The platform was completed in September this year as a result of the collaboration between Harbin Engineering University and Shenzhen-based boat manufacturer HiSiBi.

“The USV can be used in maritime law enforcement and as an addition to navy manpower,” Huang Zhuo, spokesperson of HiSiBi told ecns.cn.

Jane’s found the model at the exhibition shared similarities with China’s ORW-1, which Jane’s reported in December 2015 as being equipped with a Type-88 (QJC88) 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, featuring an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor system and gyro-stabilization for enhanced firing accuracy out to a maximum range of 1,500 m.

(CGTN)