Could Chinese AI threaten Western submarines? (www.dw.com)

A Chinese trade-journal study by the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute — led by chief engineer Meng Hao and reported by the South China Morning Post — describes an AI-driven anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system that fuses multi-source inputs (sonobuoys, hydrophones, temperature and salinity profiles, etc.) to build a real-time dynamic map of the underwater environment. In simulations the system reportedly located even very stealthy submarines about 95% of the time, handled evasion tactics like zigzagging and decoys, and distilled complex sensor outputs into simple action points for operators. Developers envision future versions tightly integrated with drone swarms, surface ships and autonomous underwater vehicles to form a self-learning, three-dimensional detection network. If realized, such capability could erode traditional submarine concealment and complicate the nuclear deterrence calculus that relies on survivable SSBNs. The announcement is strategically significant as much for signaling as for technical progress: China is expanding its submarine fleet and upgrading maritime surveillance around key waterways. Yet defense experts caution against treating the claim as an immediate game-changer — the underwater domain is extremely complex, real-world sensor fusion and countermeasure resistance are hard to achieve, and ASW is locked in a continual cat-and-mouse arms race. The study highlights accelerating AI investments in maritime warfare and underscores the dual reality of technological promise and hard operational challenges.