New submarine detector shows ‘tremendous potential’ in South China Sea tests

A new submarine detection technology that can track even the quietest of subs has shown potential during testing in the South China Sea, its developers say.

Scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University said their detector – about the size of a pickup truck – was tested on a deep ocean seabed.

It was able to capture faint electromagnetic waves generated by a rotating propeller nearly 20km (12 miles) away.

By analysing these low-frequency signals, the scientists said they could potentially position and track military targets. They published their findings in the Chinese peer-reviewed Journal of Vibration and Shock last month.

The detection range is about 10 times greater than anything previously reported, meaning the technology could potentially give China an advantage in an intensifying underwater arms race.