{
  "id": 17958661,
  "title": "China tests wave-piercing stealth trimaran as unconventional naval fleet grows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/china-tests-wave-piercing-stealth-trimaran-as-unconventional-naval",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-03T12:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3373134/china-tests-wave-piercing-stealth-trimaran-unconventional-naval-fleet-grows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China may be testing a new stealthy trimaran at sea, according to a photograph shared on social media. The image, first seen on Weibo, shows a vessel with a unique inverted wave-piercing bow, a three-hull design, and angular superstructure surfaces that could be meant to lower its radar signature. The ship, equipped with a prominent antenna mast and dome-like radar structures, is seen at sea with a noticeable wake, indicating it is moving at speed. However, the photo's exact time and location have not been independently confirmed, leaving details about the boat's specifications, purpose, and current status uncertain. China has been developing various trimaran vessels with diverse designs and capabilities, some of which are unmanned. In 2024, it unveiled the JARI-USV-A, dubbed the Orca or Killer Whale, at the Zhuhai air show. This stealthy trimaran uncrewed combat vessel is 58 meters long, weighs 500 tonnes, and can reach speeds over 40 knots (74 km/h) with a range exceeding 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km). Capable of carrying a variety of weapons and featuring a helicopter landing pad, it is designed for independent operation to perform patrols, anti-submarine activities, air defense, and rescue missions. Since its debut, the Orca has been observed conducting sea trials. In June 2022, another domestically developed trimaran uncrewed surface vessel completed its first autonomous sea trial off Zhoushan, measuring about 200 tonnes and designed to test autonomous navigation and intelligent technologies. Recent satellite imagery revealed a dark-colored trimaran under construction at the Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou in October 2021, estimated to be 65 meters long and concealed beneath tarps. The vessel, with an unusual slender hull and two outrigger hulls positioned near the rear, is believed to be uncrewed or lightly crewed, possibly designed for high-speed operations. Its possible roles include serving as a semi-submersible arsenal ship capable of carrying missile launch systems or as a platform for drones and other unmanned systems. The latest sighting, if verified, would join a growing list of experimental uncrewed or optionally crewed vessels developed by China in recent years.",
  "summary": "China appears to be testing a stealthy new trimaran at sea, according to a photograph circulating on social media, in what could be a further effort to develop unconventional naval platforms. The image first emerged on Weibo on Sunday and appears to show a vessel featuring an inverted wave-piercing bow, three-hull design and angular superstructure surfaces that could be intended to reduce its…",
  "key_points": [
    "China tests stealth trimaran with wave-piercing bow.",
    "Vessel photographed on social media, details unverified.",
    "Orca unmanned combat trimaran unveiled in 2024."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}