A research team in China has unveiled an underwater drone that can recognise, follow and attack an enemy submarine without human instruction.
The secret project, funded by the military, was partially declassified last week with the publication of a paper that gave a rare glimpse into a field test of the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), seemingly in the Taiwan Strait, more than a decade ago.
It is unclear why China has now declassified details of the test, but the tension over the Taiwan Strait has recently escalated to its highest point in decades. Countries such as the United States and Japan have raised the possibility of military intervention if Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, tries to take the island by force.