Images circulating on social media have revealed what experts believe is China’s newest military experiment — a jet-powered ekranoplan nicknamed the “Bohai Sea Monster.” The craft, a wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle capable of skimming just meters above water, bears a striking resemblance to Soviet Cold War-era technology and could reshape maritime warfare across the Asia-Pacific region.
What Is the Bohai Sea Monster?
Spotted docked on the Bohai Sea, the sleek, futuristic vessel features four engines mounted atop its wings and buoyancy floats on each wingtip. The design draws heavily from the Soviet Union’s Caspian Sea Monster, an experimental ekranoplan developed in the 1960s that blended characteristics of aircraft and ships to fly just above the sea surface — faster than naval vessels and stealthier than aircraft.
The ground effect allows such craft to generate lift while flying only a few meters above the water, greatly reducing drag and radar visibility. These qualities make the Bohai Sea Monster both fuel-efficient and difficult to detect, positioning it as a potentially powerful asset for amphibious operations.
Strategic Implications: South China Sea and Taiwan Strait
While Beijing has not confirmed the vessel’s development, analysts believe the Bohai Sea Monster could play a crucial role in any potential conflict in the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait. According to a 2023 South China Morning Post report, a craft like this could reach the contested waters of the South China Sea in just four hours — making it ideal for rapid troop deployment or cargo transport.
Naval analysts suggest that the ekranoplan’s low radar profile and amphibious capabilities could allow it to deliver troops or equipment directly onto enemy beaches, as the Soviet Union once envisioned for its own WIG craft during the Cold War.
Echoes of the Soviet Era
The Soviet-designed Lun-class ekranoplan remains the most iconic example of this technology. At 92 meters long and with a 544-ton takeoff weight, it was the largest aircraft of its time, capable of flying at high speed just meters above the sea.
China’s version appears smaller but more advanced, with jet propulsion potentially replacing propeller engines, indicating ambitions for higher speeds and heavier payloads. If proven operational, this would mark China’s most ambitious ekranoplan project to date, surpassing efforts by other nations including Russia, the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Canada, who have experimented with WIG technology at smaller scales.
How Does the U.S. Respond?
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is currently developing a competing ekranoplan called the Liberty Lifter. Still in early design phases, the Liberty Lifter is intended to combine the cargo capacity of a ship with the speed of air transport — able to operate without airstrips or deep-water ports. A preliminary design review is expected in 2025.
Challenges and Limitations
Despite their advantages, ekranoplans have key limitations. According to retired Air Marshal Anil Chopra of the Centre for Air Power Studies, these craft struggle in rough seas and have limited maneuverability. Their dependence on calm water conditions makes them vulnerable in unpredictable maritime environments.
Still, the unveiling of the Bohai Sea Monster reflects China’s growing investment in hybrid and amphibious warfare technologies, which also includes the AG600 — the world’s largest amphibious plane, now in mass production.
With tensions simmering in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, China’s new flying boat adds a fresh variable to the region’s security dynamics. While some military experts remain skeptical about its battlefield utility, others see it as a signal of Beijing’s broader ambition: to redefine naval warfare with unconventional platforms that challenge existing doctrines.
