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China is Planning To Build a Deep Sea Base For Unmanned Submarine Science and Defense Operations in the South China Sea (scmp.com)
Urged by China President Xi Jinping to dare to do something that has never been done before, scientists say challenges could give China huge technology lead. From a report: China is planning to build a deep sea base for unmanned submarine science and defence operations in the South China Sea, a centre that might become the first artificial intelligence colony on Earth, officials and scientists involved in the plan said. The project -- named in part after Hades, the underworld of Greek mythology -- was launched at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing this month after a visit to a deep sea research institute at Sanya, Hainan province, by Chinese President Xi Jinping in April.
Xi urged the scientists and engineers to dare to do something that has never been done before. "There is no road in the deep sea, we do not need to chase [after other countries], we are the road," he said. The idea of an outpost for deep sea exploration has been a favourite of scientists, engineers and fiction writers for hundreds of years, while the Greek allegory of Atlantis has inspired many "city beneath the sea" stories. The Hadal zone that would be home to the base is the deepest part of an ocean -- typically a V-shape abyss -- at a depth of 6,000 to 11,000 metres (19,685 to 36,100 feet). The project will cost Chinese taxpayers 1.1 billion yuan (US$160 million), the scientists said. That is half as much again as the cost of the FAST radio telescope -- the world's largest -- in Guizhou province, southwest China.
Xi urged the scientists and engineers to dare to do something that has never been done before. "There is no road in the deep sea, we do not need to chase [after other countries], we are the road," he said. The idea of an outpost for deep sea exploration has been a favourite of scientists, engineers and fiction writers for hundreds of years, while the Greek allegory of Atlantis has inspired many "city beneath the sea" stories. The Hadal zone that would be home to the base is the deepest part of an ocean -- typically a V-shape abyss -- at a depth of 6,000 to 11,000 metres (19,685 to 36,100 feet). The project will cost Chinese taxpayers 1.1 billion yuan (US$160 million), the scientists said. That is half as much again as the cost of the FAST radio telescope -- the world's largest -- in Guizhou province, southwest China.
Two very different projects and purposes that do not really deserve the comparison. Otoh, while some are obsessed with tariffs, the China project seems rather innovative and ambitious.
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
That is pretty impressive you can build a sea base for $160 million. In the US that wouldn't even pay for the wetsuits.
Science and engineering innovation is a good thing, Even it is on the backs of Political one-up.
The Space Race in the the 1960's and 1970's really helped bring science into a new age. Helping urge the computer revolution and the Internet too. ICBM was a risk to the communication infrastructure so a new network designed to reroute was made in case a particular point was destroyed.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
The US probably has no type of weapon which could touch such a base. We'd have to resort to depth charges.
All their base are belong to us.
I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
Sounds like the plot for a James Bond movie.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Harry Goz is dead.
#DeleteChrome
Which just happens to be an incredibly effective weapon. It is literally a very large hand grenade, so "close" does count.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Actually, it's a lot closer to the plot of Soma. A game that I VERY highly recommend. Deals with an underwater science base, a rogue AI, and consciousness transfer. What could go wrong?
Is Pooh Bear watching adult swim reruns of Sealab 2021?
Which just happens to be an incredibly effective weapon.
Especially against a stationary target.
How do we get them to knock this shit off?
This has about the same military significance as the Great Wall of China, i.e. very little.
An adversarial nation could destroy this super expensive base with little effort using existing capabilities. I don't believe the estimates because they tend to use low-tech solutions that are much more error prone and take a lot more time. No opportunity to industrial sabotage the tech from other countries here either.
Keeping a carrier there (which, by the way, you can move) would be far cheaper, less dangerous for the troops, and extend their reach just as much.
Sounds like their sizzlers were a major advance, but this is throwing good money after bad.
The base itself won't give them an edge in combat - precisely for that reason.
It is the spin-off tech that is important. If they get this going, they will routinely build subs that go to great depths. Which is useful for a navy. For the civilian economy, deep sea mining is interesting. If they can get mass-produced vessels & robots that work at such depths. Which this sort of project will provide.
The moon landing had no direct military importance - the tech developed to go there certainly had.
Otoh, while some are obsessed with tariffs, the China project seems rather innovative and ambitious.
Gibberish much?
It always seemed to me that autonomous submarines would be super useful for military offense. A submarine that doesn't need humans inside can be smaller, faster, quieter, cheaper, and more maneuverable. They could recharge from solar or tidal power, or have nuclear batteries that last decades. But most frighteningly: what if they contained nuclear weapons? You could position them all over the world, nearly undetectable, imminently ready to strike. Port cities are vulnerable yet also valuable.
Call me when they have actually built it and it works as expected.
Until then I put it in the same file as all the other outrageous claims China likes to make up and / or brag about.
Tomorrow they will announce an AI controlled hand held laser that turns everyone Chinese.
If in International waters, then another country can build an explosives testing facility right next door.
This seems like another Chinese ploy to grab non-territorial water/land like they are doing with man-made islands in international waters and other countries waters.