Positioning of marine drones on strategic routes by China.

According to analyzes published in Chinese military media, the Chinese navy would be considering the use of underwater drones to drop sea mines at strategic points in the Pacific if tension around Taiwan increases.

In practice this would mean trying to block essential sea routes without exposing human crews. The system mentioned is a large underwater drone known as AJX002, a long-range platform similar to that of a torpedo capable of navigating discreetly and carrying explosive charges.

Unlike a traditional submarine, this type of vehicle can operate more quietly and with less political risk in the event of a loss. The logic behind the strategy is simple and at the same time powerful, instead of directly confronting enemy fleets, the idea would be to transform trade routes and military corridors into areas of constant risk. It would be enough to place mines in critical areas to delay ships, make maritime insurance more expensive, disorganize logistics chains and force long demining operations.

And there is a central geographical point in this discussion, the so-called first island chain, a strategic sequence that goes from Japan, through Taiwan and reaches the Philippines. That region has been seen for decades as a natural barrier capable of limiting Chinese naval access to the open Pacific, therefore, controlling or interrupting that corridor would have a direct impact, not only military, but also economic.

Warships would be affected, but also commercial ships, energy, food, industrial components and high value merchant ships could face immediate delays and this reveals something bigger, the wars of the future may not start with massive bombings, they could start with silent blockades, with submerged machines positioning invisible threats on the seabed, however this strategy also carries profound risks.

Undermining international routes can cause a global escalation, affect Chinese trade itself and trigger severe sanctions, that is, the same tactic that puts pressure on adversaries can also turn against those who use it, even so, the simple fact that this possibility is being discussed already shows an important change. In a scenario where sea routes can be blocked at any time, seeing first and continuing to operate can say it all.