Beijing, Nov 22: China has begun work on a 78,000-tonne floating research platform designed to endure nuclear shock waves, with completion targeted for 2028, according to design information and academic papers describing the project. The Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility, listed under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, is being described by planners as the world’s first mobile, self-sustaining artificial island.
Researchers say the structure uses a semi-submersible twin-hull layout to support extended missions far from the mainland, drawing attention from analysts who argue the platform could change how maritime presence is projected in contested waters. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which leads the project, noted that the vessel will stretch 138 metres in length and 85 metres in width, with a main deck 45 metres above the waterline.
University documents state the island will house 238 personnel for four months without resupply and can operate in sea state 7, withstand category 17 typhoons and travel at 15 knots. Its endurance capacity, officials noted, approaches that of large naval platforms.
Despite being labelled a civilian research facility for deep-water studies and marine technology testing, the platform incorporates military-grade protection normally associated with wartime infrastructure. A study published November 4 by Professor Yang Deqing’s team confirmed that the superstructure includes sections that meet Chinese standard GJB 1060.1-1991, which governs nuclear shock protection. “Critical emergency systems have been placed within protected compartments,” the paper noted.
To avoid heavy traditional armour, the researchers developed a metamaterial “sandwich bulkhead” using corrugated lattice tubes that compress uniformly during shock. Their modelling shows a 60-mm panel reduces displacement by 58.5 per cent and lowers peak stress by more than 14 per cent, allowing the hull to absorb sudden energy from a nuclear blast wave more gradually. “The structure slows the impulse into a quasi-static effect,” the authors wrote.
Observers say the vessel’s range and mobility could allow Beijing to strengthen its footprint in distant waters, including the South China Sea, without permanent land reclamation. Chinese officials argue the platform is intended for climate observation and blue-economy development, but analysts maintain it could serve as a logistics base, surveillance node or offshore command post. Supporters note its presence at sea may raise fewer diplomatic disputes while expanding China’s scientific activity in the region.
