By: H I Sutton
In front of scenic cliffs and an ornamental European-style windmill is a secret People’s Liberation Army Navy pier. Here, at a former tourist resort on China’s northern coast, is where the PLAN is developing some of its most secretive, and previously unreported, naval programs, USNI News has learned.
The pier near Dalian is where China is testing its large uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), according to satellite photos provided to USNI News by Maxar and an analysis of open-source intelligence.
Construction of the new pier started in early 2016 and took about a year, according to satellite photos. Since then it has been used intermittently by the PLAN. When in use, two large work barges are moored alongside to provide basic facilities for crews and support staff. The facility itself has only the most basic semblance of a military base. Taken together this suggests that it is an auxiliary facility, used to support short-term trials and exercises.
