China's drone mothership concept...

The PLA 🇨🇳 showcases a “drone mothership” concept, with unmanned boats operating alongside a mother ship.@AlexLuck9 @kazusb2 _ @ForumStrategic pic.twitter.com/ezboF3A0NH

— DefenseTrends (@DefenseTrends) February 1, 2026

We always come with concepts but never follow thru. Then China does what we imagined (or another country) and we kick ourselves because we didn't go forward. Kinda frustrating. The idea of a drone carrier based on a cheap LHD has been floating around Marine/Navy circles for awhile but the Naval Aviation mafia killed it. Too bad it would have been a real force multiplier. Drone motherships for surface craft? Yeah that's been pushed too but whoever killed that too. I hope this doesn't bite us in the future.