Overview
- CCTV-7 aired clips on October 30 showing the AVIC AR-500CJ uncrewed helicopter operating from a ship during sea trials.
- The deck layout in the footage matches a roughly 100-meter vessel launched at the Jiangsu Dayang Marine shipyard in 2022, though the ship’s name remains unconfirmed.
- The platform shown differs from the larger CSSC-linked Zhong Chuan Zi Hao seen in separate imagery, indicating multiple bespoke drone-deck designs are in circulation.
- AVIC describes the AR-500CJ as optimized for shipboard use with roles including surveillance and aerial signal relay, alongside parallel efforts on AR-2000-based naval helicopters and a navalized GJ-11 seen with an arrestor hook.
- Analysts say these small open-deck ships are primarily test and training assets with limited endurance, yet they reflect a move toward more distributed, lower-cost naval airpower enabled by China’s expansive industrial base.