With the rapid development of weapons technology, unmanned weapons play an important role in modern warfare. In addition to conventional military drones and combat robots, unmanned combat systems have now radically expanded the field of maritime warfare. As a leading country in the research and development and manufacture of unmanned weapons, the mainland has also made great achievements in the development of unmanned warships. Whether it is a large unmanned combat ship or a small combat ship, it is known that the mainland has developed two types of unmanned combat ships. The promotional video released before the official release of domestic unmanned ships showed new tactics for future naval warfare, and 56 domestic unmanned ships fought together. That is, using multiple unmanned combat units with strong situational awareness, using special "wolf tactics" in battle to defeat enemy fleets with numerical superiority.
The US military has long begun to develop and test unmanned combat ships
It can be said that the use of wolf tactics against unmanned ships is a flexible and effective method of warfare. A huge unmanned fleet can be formed with dozens or even hundreds of ships to achieve multi-point operations, scattered attacks, and coordinated actions.
For example, an unmanned ship employing wolf pack tactics can deploy combat forces to multiple points, resulting in a multi-directional attack. This makes it difficult for the enemy fleet to concentrate its forces for effective defense, increasing the difficulty of enemy response. At the current level of technology, the unmanned combat ships developed by the mainland can achieve a high level of coordinated operations through network communication and command systems. They can share intelligence information and coordinate actions to form a complete operational capability.
The tactical potential of wolves at sea for unmanned combat ships is huge
In addition, this "wolf pack" tactic can also reduce dependence on individual ships, distract enemy firepower, and reduce the risk of unmanned ships being destroyed by enemy forces.
Unmanned ships are generally cheaper than manned ships compared to large conventional ships. There is no need to consider personnel on board. The ship should be equipped with a powered weapon detection module. Mass manufacturing and mass production can be formed at a lower cost. Large-scale combat forces.
In terms of survivability, unmanned ships do not need to take into account the issue of casualties, since they do not need to be manned, and the range and radius of operations are determined exclusively by control and command. Unmanned ships adopt wolf tactics to support and support each other. Protect, improve overall survivability. Even if individual ships are attacked, other ships can continue to fight back and maintain combat effectiveness.
In addition, the wolf tactics of unmanned ships are suitable for a variety of combat missions, including anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence reconnaissance, maritime patrols, etc. Unmanned ships can be combined as needed to suit different combat mission requirements.
It can be said that unmanned ships have a lot to do on the battlefield. For example, the small stealth JARI-USV unmanned combat ship produced by Continental has a tonnage of only 20 tons, but is equipped with 4 phased array radars. It is also equipped with 8 small universal vertical launchers, which can carry not only short-range anti-aircraft missiles and small anti-ship missiles, but also anti-submarine torpedoes. It can be said that the small ship has certain air defense, anti-submarine and anti-ship capabilities. Of course, not suitable for the enemy. The threat of the party's massive fleet is difficult to control. This type of small ship is very suitable for performing offshore anti-submarine, intelligence reconnaissance, maritime patrol and other tasks.
The mainland also has larger unmanned stealth combat ships. CCTV has previously reported that it is similar to the U.S. military's Zumwalt class, with a displacement of 200 tons and the ability to carry phased array radar. It can be modified to carry a larger caliber vertical launcher, and can be equipped with PLA supersonic anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, etc. , while dozens of stealth drones can be used in wartime, and battleships can carry hundreds of missiles for saturation attacks on enemy fleets. As for the ship's long-range reconnaissance and guidance capabilities, the launch of the ship's UAVs can be done through vertical launchers, as well as by other friendly flight installations or satellite guidance.
In general, the series of unmanned warships developed by China are of great significance to the military, and the US Navy is also strengthening the construction of corresponding unmanned warships. In addition, the United States supplies Ukraine with a large number of unmanned ships, which causes great trouble for the Russian military. The Ukrainian army's repeated use of unmanned wolf pack tactical ships to attack Russia's Black Sea Fleet, ports and even Crimean bridges highlights the potential of unmanned combat ships in modern warfare.
In general, the continuous development and maturity of mainland unmanned ship technology will provide the PLA with more flexible and efficient combat capabilities.