Chinese researchers are developing a new type of armored combat vehicle designed to operate underwater for up to two hours at depths of 50 meters, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The project involves engineers from Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group and Beijing Institute of Technology, both of which contribute to China’s tank and armored vehicle development programs.

The proposed platform belongs to a new category of so-called heterogeneous military vehicles, designed to perform missions across multiple operational environments rather than being restricted to conventional land warfare.

Its main feature is a modular architecture that would allow the vehicle to change its equipment and capabilities depending on battlefield requirements.

Researchers envision a system capable of adapting to operations on land, in water, in the air and in contested electromagnetic environments.

Individual modules could reportedly be replaced within seconds, while switching between different operating modes is expected to take approximately 12 minutes.

Among the proposed capabilities is a specialized underwater module that would enable the armored vehicle to remain operational at depths of up to 50 meters for two hours.

However, the technology has not yet demonstrated all its intended capabilities. Tests conducted so far have not confirmed that the vehicle can successfully operate underwater.

Despite this limitation, the Chinese research team says the project is approaching the stage of practical engineering implementation and testing under conditions designed to simulate real combat missions.

The developers believe such adaptable military platforms could become increasingly important over the coming decades as armed forces expand their ability to conduct operations across multiple domains.