Overview
- Fresh photos from Shanghai’s Hudong‑Zhonghua shipyard show a truck‑built electromagnetic launch system installed on the deck of the cargo ship Zhong Da 79, with large combat drones staged nearby.
- The latest configuration reportedly uses four connected vehicle segments to form a straight launch track, with one drone positioned in what appears to be a launch‑ready state.
- Many previously seen containerized weapon modules were removed to free deck space, and reports indicate only about 24 of roughly 60 vertical‑launch cells remain alongside sensors and a Type 1130 close‑in weapon system.
- Close‑up imagery shows the label “containerised weapon module development suite” on onboard containers, reinforcing indications of a modular test setup on a civilian vessel.
- Analysts caution the evidence is unconfirmed and note unanswered questions about power demands, launch clearances, recovery methods, and performance at sea, framing the activity as experimentation with rapidly reconfigurable maritime capabilities.