(Yicai Global) Dec. 21 -- China has begun constructing its first intelligent self-navigating vessel for marine scientific research that can be controlled remotely and can co-ordinate with a number of separate unmanned systems in the air, on the ocean surface or under it.

The mothership, built by the Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering, China Ship Building Corp.’s Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding and the China Ship Development and Design Center, should be ready by 2022, the Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.

It is expected to attain the remote control class of R1, which will be a world first, said Fan Lei, chief engineer at Huangpu Wenchong Ship.

The data gathered by the vessel will be used to monitor the ocean environment, prevent marine disasters, predict climate change and maintain offshore wind farms, experts said.

Editor: Kim Taylor