China sends manned submarine to the bottom of the Arctic sea

China plans to send a manned submarine to explore the polar seabed as part of its growing ambitions in the Arctic Ocean.

The submarine is designed to be dropped through a hole in the hull of the Shenchao-3 polar research vessel , said the 704 Research Institute of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

The developer reported a series of tests, including underwater docking and operating in low-temperature conditions, but has not revealed many details about the ship.

China's polar research vessel Shenchao-3. (Photo: SCMP).

China previously relied on foreign technology but has now developed its own systems, which "could be widely used in the future for polar scientific research, deep-sea oil and gas resource exploration and exploitation, undersea pipeline construction and maintenance, and search and rescue operations," the report added.

Polar research vessels are limited in their ability to operate due to the presence of icebergs, so putting them in the water is one way to solve the problem, but the harsh conditions pose significant technological challenges.

So far, only Russia has managed to send a manned spacecraft to the bottom of the Arctic seabed - during the Arktika mission in 2007. That means China could become the second country to do so.

The 704 Research Institute also designed a set of equipment for the mother ship to support deep-sea research, including a 10,000 m winch system and a deployment and recovery system for the submarine.

The Xingchao-3 probe was built in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, with its core mission being to use domestically produced equipment for scientific exploration.

The project began in June 2023 and the ship left port in April this year. The ship is expected to enter service and begin sea trials next year.

China considers itself a 'near-Arctic' power and is expanding its polar exploration fleet. It has built several icebreakers, the latest being the Jidi (Polar), which can break through 1m of ice and made its maiden voyage to the North Pole in August.

Last month, Wu Gang, designer of China's first domestically produced icebreaker, the Xuelong-2 , revealed that the country is also developing another icebreaker that can handle ice more than 2 meters thick.

Icebreakers allow China to operate year-round in polar environments.

The US has expressed concern about China's growing presence in the Arctic and is working to increase its shipbuilding capabilities. The US Coast Guard is building several heavy icebreakers.

Earlier this year, the United States, Canada and Finland announced a joint project to develop ships for polar operations, including icebreakers.