The Blue Whale, an innovative high-speed submersible unmanned surface vessel, was released on Monday in Zhuhai, south Chinas Guangdong Province.The launch marks a significant development in Chinas marine technology and suggests a significant advance in the development of intelligent ocean equipment.Developed to operate both above and below water, the vessel can reach surface area speeds of 36 knots, dive to prevent severe weather such as typhoons, and stay submerged in static suspension for over a month, according to Zhuhai Yunzhou, among the co-developers.
Its adaptability makes it possible for rapid action to emergencies and effective application in meteorology, undersea mapping, photography, water tasting and infrastructure inspections like submarine cable maintenance.Wu Guosong, primary engineer of the submersible vessel project at Zhuhai Yunzhou, highlighted the vessels capability to deploy meteorological rockets and sensors near tropical cyclone epicenters to gather critical climatic and oceanic data.Chen Dake, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated the launch is a milestone in Chinas independent development in marine science, highlighting its role in advancing ocean expedition and supporting national strategic objectives.Construction of the engineering model started in June 2024, and the procedure included pressure-resistant welding, hull assembly and devices installation.The last phases, including internal debugging, mooring trials and further sea tests, are arranged for completion before the vessels expected functional debut in 2026.