A heretofore clandestine unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exploiting the "ground effect principle" so it can fly very low over water with improved accuracy is apparently being tested by Chinese scientists as an aircraft carrier killing weapon.

Described as a "Ground Effect Unmanned Aerial Vehicle," this weapon is classified as an aerial drone or UAV and not an anti-ship missile. It's being developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which specializes in developing UAVs.

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A ground effect (GE) vehicle is designed to attain sustained flight over a level surface (usually over the sea) by making use of ground effect or the aerodynamic interaction between the wings and the surface.

Interestingly, this sea-skimming, anti-ship drone is said to belong to the Cai Hong UAV-class developed by CASC and currently marketed worldwide. There are 11 known Cai Hong UAVs, all of which carry the CH prefix.

The latest Cai Hong UAV is the CH-901 unmanned combat aerial vehicle. The complete CH designator for this new GE UAV is unknown.

Internet fora coming out of China describe the CASC Ground Effect UAV as an aerial drone that uses ground effect technology to skim the surface of the ocean. It's claimed the GE UAV flies just 46 cm (18 inches) above the waves.

Strangely, the GE UAV features a pair of upward swept wings and a set of forward canards, which doesn't fit the profile of a ground effect vehicle.

Chinese pundits, however, claim the GE UAV takes advantage of ground effect because of its low-wing design where the wing root is at the bottom of the fuselage, a feature of ground effect vehicles.

Speculation is the GE UAV has an estimated flying time of 1.5 hours, which would give it a 900 mile range if it flew at 600 miles an hour. The UAV might have a maximum takeoff weight of 6,000 lbs, which includes a 2,000 lb blast fragmentation warhead.

A video of the alleged sea-skimming anti-ship drone can be viewed here.