China Displayed Unmanned 20-Ton Warship Model at IDEX 2019

China displayed a model of its most advanced naval weapon at the recently concluded IDEX 2019 exhibition in Abu Dhabi- a 20 ton unmanned warship with vertical launched missiles dubbed ‘Aegis killer,’ indicating that it is superior to Aegis, a US-made ship command and control system that can detect and fire missiles at enemy targets.

The15 metre unmanned surface vessel ‘JARI’ developed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) has a displacement of 20 tons. It is equipped with a phased array radar, vertical-launched missiles and torpedoes that are usually only seen on frigates and destroyers with displacement of thousands of tons, China Central Television reported.

"Given how small the ship is, this setup can be considered very powerful. The mini Aegis-class destroyer’s size gives it more mobility and some stealth," a Beijing-based military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times.

The JARI can be remotely controlled, but also uses artificial intelligence to autonomously navigate itself and undertake combat activities once it receives commands. The ship is capable of tracking naval targets within visual range, aerial targets 30 kilometers away and underwater targets seven kilometers away. It can then attack with missiles, torpedoes and guns, CCTV report stated.

“Without operators on board, the drone ship does not face the risk of casualties. It can also be integrated into a larger formation of other ships,” the expert said.

“The ship has gathered a lot of attention from military representatives from many countries,” CCTV quoted CISC representative Zheng Guangfu as saying.