A grainy photograph posted to Chinese social media this month revealed what defense watchers believe to be the most ambitious ekranoplan built in decades. The aircraft — nicknamed the “Bohai Sea Monster” — was spotted in the background of an undisclosed Chinese coastal facility.
Analysts say it marks the largest leap in wing-in-ground effect (WIG) aircraft design since the Cold War, when the Soviet Union terrified NATO with monstrous ground-effect warships roaring just meters above the Caspian Sea.
Now, China appears to have resurrected that phantom.
The Return of the Screenglider?
Ekranoplans, sometimes called “screengliders,” are aircraft that skim just above the surface of water. By riding on a cushion of compressed air trapped between their wings and the sea, they slash through drag with remarkable fuel efficiency. But since they operate just a few meters above sea level, the most important feature of screengliders is that they can stay undetectable by most radar systems.
The Soviets, ever enamored with hybrid machines, invested heavily in them during the Cold War. Their behemoths — like the Caspian Sea Monster and the Lun-class — were part aircraft, part boat, part hovercraft, and all ambition.
But after the USSR’s collapse, the ekranoplan dream faded due to lack of funding.
Now that dream may have been resurrected.
The newly spotted Chinese craft is not just a concept. It actually exists—hulking, painted in low-visibility grey, and equipped with four prominent jet engines mounted above its short wings. A T-tail design with dual vertical stabilizers confirms it’s built more for stability in ground-effect flight than for high-altitude maneuvering.
“It’s a new and previously unreported type,” Naval News wrote. Its silhouette mirrors earlier Chinese ekranoplan experiments, but this one is far larger and, crucially, military in appearance.
Why would China revive such an obscure technology?
The answer partly lies in necessity, given China’s copious investments in its navy in what many see as a buildup in preparation for a massive invasion of Taiwan. On the other hand, China might be doing this simply because they can — especially with the espionage cards they hold.
A Cold War Legacy, Repackaged
Earlier this month, The New York Times obtained a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) document detailing Chinese efforts to poach aerospace specialists from Moscow. Among the recruitment priorities: former Soviet engineers with experience on ekranoplans.
“Priority recruitment is given to former employees of aircraft factories and research institutes,” the report states, especially those “dissatisfied with the closure of the ekranoplan development program” or in financial hardship.
For decades, Russia led the world in ekranoplan research, only to let the technology languish after the Cold War. Now, Beijing seems keen on picking things up where the Soviets left off—recruiting not just designs, but the minds behind them.
China’s military ambitions provide the backdrop. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) already fields hovercraft for amphibious operations. But ekranoplans offer something unique: speed and stealth. By hugging the sea surface, they fly below most radar detection thresholds. And by operating outside typical naval and air lanes, they could prove to be a force enabler and multiplier.
The major limitation for any Ekranoplan-style warship is wave height. Ekranoplans can only operate in relatively calm waters—usually with waves under 1.25 meters.
“It would technically be possible for Ekranoplan-style warships to fly over the Taiwan Strait on calmer days, and the PLA isn’t considering launching an invasion in the middle of typhoon season anyway,” noted ChinaTalk, a publication analyzing Beijing’s tech ambitions.
From Sea Monster to Drone Swarm
China’s ekranoplan interest doesn’t stop with the Bohai Sea Monster. For years, Beijing has tested smaller craft like the DXF-100 and the Albatross-5, most of which can carry 15–20 passengers. It’s also been exploring another frontier: unmanned WIG drones (wing-in-ground-effect drones).
These small, radar-evading vessels could be used for reconnaissance, cargo delivery, or even weapons transport. The first reports of Chinese military WIG drones surfaced in 2017 and were publicized by state media — an unusual move, suggesting official endorsement.
What makes ekranoplan expertise so versatile (and attractive) is its intersection of disciplines. Engineers trained on these hybrids are deeply familiar with both hydrodynamics and aerodynamics. That makes them valuable far beyond the aircraft themselves.
There are even signs that other countries are picking up the scent. Researchers in Poland and Denmark are developing WIG drones for commercial and military use.
But none appear as far along as China.
What Is the Plan?
So, what exactly is the Bohai Sea Monster for?
Its size and design suggest it could be a rapid amphibious assault vehicle. It looks able to ferry troops or light vehicles to enemy shores faster and more stealthily than conventional craft. That would align with China’s growing interest in seaborne projection of power, particularly around Taiwan and in contested regions of the South China Sea.
Others believe it could be a heavy-lift cargo platform or a new form of aerial resupply for island outposts. China’s other large seaplane project, the AVIC AG600, is geared toward search and rescue and firefighting. The Bohai Sea Monster may complement it, not replace it.
And if the U.S. and its allies have spent decades preparing for missile strikes and air assaults, they may soon face a new threat altogether: a machine that flies too low to see and too fast to stop.
The sea monster, it seems, has finally found new waters.
