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Cargo Ship or Warship? China Arms Civilian Vessel With 60 Missiles in Plain Sight
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
China has converted a commercial feeder container ship into a missile arsenal vessel capable of launching up to 60 rockets, marking a new step in the militarization of civilian maritime platforms.
According to Militarnyi, satellite images and photographs taken at the Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding facility in Shanghai reveal that the vessel in question—ZHONGDA 79—has been equipped with modular missile launchers disguised in standard shipping containers.
The images also show radar systems, close-in weapon systems (CIWS), and decoy launchers installed on the deck.
ZHONGDA 79 is a 97-meter feeder container ship now retrofitted with what appear to be containerized missile launchers potentially capable of deploying various types of munitions, including anti-ship, cruise, hypersonic, and surface-to-air missiles.
The vessel also carries a Type 1130 CIWS for close-range air defense and Type 726 decoy launchers, in addition to a prominent rotating radar system with an active phased array, and a second antenna housed under a radome, which may serve communication or targeting functions.
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Container markings on the vessel reference nationalist slogans such as “Marine revival of the Chinese nation and a shared oceanic future for mankind.”
The conversion aligns with a broader concept known as the “arsenal ship"—a military doctrine aimed at deploying large quantities of missile systems on inexpensive and less conspicuous platforms.
The concept was originally explored by the United States in the 1980s as part of a strategic plan to create launch platforms capable of firing hundreds of cruise missiles.
While the US did not field such ships, China’s adaptation of the idea demonstrates interest in scalable, asymmetric capabilities at sea.
According to Militarnyi, ZHONGDA 79 does not currently appear in the official registry of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) or the Chinese auxiliary fleet. As of December 2025, the ship retains its civilian designation despite its new weapons systems.
The vessel spent several months at a shipyard in Longhai for retrofitting between April and August 2025, before moving to Shanghai for what appears to have been the final phase of the conversion.
Earlier, Chinese military researchers claimed a breakthrough in hypersonic glide vehicles (RGVs), stating they could enable global strikes from space-based platforms within 30 minutes. According to a study led by Professor Guo Yang of the PLA Rocket Force, the vehicles can maneuver at Mach 20 and may eventually be launched from satellites.
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
