China to reinforce naval pressure over Taiwan Strait with new AJX002 extra-large underwater drone.

On September 3, 2025, China revealed the AJX002, an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV), during the military parade held in Beijing, which marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The parade was attended by senior Chinese leadership and foreign dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, underscoring the event’s international signaling dimension. The AJX002 had been previously observed during rehearsals and satellite imagery, but this was the first time it was officially displayed to the public.
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The AJX002 is one of several extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) that China has been developing since at least 2022, with satellite imagery and trial reports suggesting up to six distinct types undergoing testing. (Picture source: Weibo/@撒手锏)

An XLUUV, or eXtra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle, is a very large autonomous undersea system designed for long-range and long-endurance missions without any crew onboard. It differs from smaller uncrewed undersea vehicles in that its size prevents it from being launched or recovered from conventional submarines, requiring instead pier-side deployment and recovery. The design of such vehicles generally includes modular payload sections, which allow them to be configured for different types of missions, including persistent surveillance, mine-laying, strike operations, or tasks linked to seabed warfare, such as the deployment or disruption of sensors and cables.

Their propulsion systems are intended to provide operational endurance lasting several months, with ranges extending thousands of kilometers, enabling independent operation far from home bases. By being uncrewed, these platforms reduce the risks typically faced by manned submarines when undertaking missions in contested waters. Cost, testing requirements, and operational integration remain under assessment, but XLUUVs are increasingly viewed as a component of future naval forces because they expand underwater capabilities without the vulnerabilities associated with crewed vessels.

The AJX002 measures approximately 18 to 20 meters in length and has a diameter between 1 and 1.5 meters, giving it a slender hull profile compared to other uncrewed designs. The vehicle features four lifting lugs distributed along its hull, indicating that it is launched into the sea by crane and may be modular, with the potential to separate into two sections for transport. Analysts interpret the forward section as being intended for payloads, while the aft section houses propulsion systems. The drone uses a pumpjet propulsion system that reduces noise compared to open propellers, providing lower acoustic signatures. Its cruciform rudder arrangement suggests conventional control geometry, unlike other Chinese designs that employ X-form rudders and visible sensor masts.

Official commentary during the parade described the AJX002 as a drone optimized for mine-laying operations. This function aligns with ongoing interest within the People’s Liberation Army Navy in developing autonomous mine warfare capabilities similar to those being pursued in Western programs, such as Boeing’s Orca or Australia’s Anduril Ghost Shark. The AJX002’s design and scale, however, suggest additional potential applications beyond mine deployment. Analysts note that the vehicle is too large and stripped of external sensor arrays to serve primarily in an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance role, making it plausible that it carries torpedoes, cruise missiles, or other offensive payloads. Some reports compared it to the Russian Poseidon nuclear-powered intercontinental torpedo, but there is no evidence to support nuclear propulsion or nuclear warhead carriage in this system.

Several assessments emphasize that the AJX002 could be used in roles directly relevant to regional conflict scenarios, particularly those involving Taiwan. The vehicle may be capable of covertly deploying mines in the Taiwan Strait to disrupt shipping, laying deep-water minefields east of Taiwan, or conducting patrols beyond the range of land-based defensive systems. Analysts have also raised the possibility of the AJX002 being employed against undersea infrastructure, such as telecommunications cables, or for clandestine sabotage of enemy ports. By adding another layer of complexity to the undersea domain, the AJX002 increases the demands on adversary anti-submarine warfare assets, which must account for both manned submarines and large unmanned systems operating autonomously or semi-autonomously.

The AJX002 is not a stand-alone program but part of a broader Chinese push into extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles, which has been active since at least 2022. Satellite imagery and open-source reporting suggest that China has tested as many as five to six distinct XLUUV designs. During parade rehearsals, at least four AJX002 vehicles and two larger, unnamed variants were observed. The second design appeared similar in length but had a greater diameter, twin masts, and X-form rudders, suggesting a general-purpose design compared to the AJX002’s more focused configuration. This scale of development places China ahead of other nations in terms of both the variety of XLUUV models being built and the pace at which they are being moved from testing toward operational readiness.

Chinese military commentators described the AJX002 as not only capable of mine warfare but also as a platform that can operate in clusters with other unmanned systems. Reports indicate that it could share information with other submersibles and unmanned surface vessels, creating multi-node undersea networks and coordinated three-dimensional blockade zones. Its detection and identification systems may allow it to autonomously distinguish between friendly and hostile vessels, reducing the risk of unintended activation in mine warfare. If deployed in large numbers, the AJX002 could provide the People’s Liberation Army Navy with a scalable tool to create maritime denial zones, restrict sea lanes, and complicate the planning of adversary naval operations in contested areas such as the South China Sea or Western Pacific.

The AJX002’s public debut alongside nuclear missiles, hypersonic systems, and advanced directed-energy weapons highlights its role in China’s strategic messaging. It was presented as part of a comprehensive modernization drive intended to demonstrate new operational domains in which China seeks to secure an advantage. Its revelation at a parade that emphasized the nuclear triad and other advanced systems suggests it is not only a technical development but also a political statement about China’s ability to extend military capabilities into the undersea environment. While questions remain about its endurance, sensor payloads, and control systems, the AJX002 reflects the growing role of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) in China’s force structure, but also Beijing’s intent to use such high-profile events to send a political message to regional adversaries and global observers.