The drone carrier turned out a bit different from the concept model spotted at a trade show in 2021. HI Sutton says that there have been catamaran carrier designs before, because they have a large deck area, but none has ever gotten off the proverbial drawing board. It makes more sense in the shallow waters of the South China Sea than out in the blue Pacific. If you examine a Dongbo 22-class EW barge, you'll see it's also a catamaran design. Both ship types are intended as electronic "blue force" training platforms. The PLAN will use this ship to simulate American drone attacks. As a pracitcal matter, they will also gain practical experience with operating drone carriers.
The drone carrier turned out a bit different from the concept model spotted at a trade show in 2021. HI Sutton says that there have been catamaran carrier designs before, because they have a large deck area, but none has ever gotten off the proverbial drawing board. It makes more sense in the shallow waters of the South China Sea than out in the blue Pacific. If you examine a Dongbo 22-class EW barge, you'll see it's also a catamaran design. Both ship types are intended as electronic "blue force" training platforms. The PLAN will use this ship to simulate American drone attacks. As a pracitcal matter, they will also gain practical experience with operating drone carriers.