China has revived the strangest concept of the Cold War: an airplane, a ship and a missile launcher in one machine

China appears to be reviving a Cold War-era Soviet ekranoplan concept with a new maritime craft nicknamed the Bohai Sea Monster.

The low-flying vehicle is designed to skim just above the water and could potentially carry torpedoes or anti-ship missiles.

If operational, it could be harder to detect by radar and give China a faster way to move weapons across contested waters.

The development signals renewed interest in unconventional platforms that could matter in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and wider Pacific.