The Navy of the People’s Republic of China owns 62 submarines. And there should be more. The US Department of Defense expects the Chinese submarine fleet to grow to 70 by the end of the 2020s, including eight nuclear weapons carriers.
No wonder: China has long wanted to modernize and upgrade its navy, and in particular its submarine fleet. The fleet now ranges from diesel-powered Song-class submarines and Shang-class nuclear submarines to Russian Kilo-class submarines.
The American naval expert HI Sutton*, who made a name for himself on Twitter in connection with the Ukraine war, took a close look at the Chinese fleet.
Type 09III SHANG – nuclear powered, powerful and rare
The Chinese have been working on the submarine since the 1990s, and six of the nuclear-powered “09III SHANG” type have been in service with the Chinese Navy since 2006. Since then it has been produced in small numbers and with various modifications. The low production rate and constant design revisions indicate that the Chinese military is not entirely satisfied with this type.
“These attack submarines are generally better than many people would expect. We’ve seen the steady introduction of newer technologies like towed sonars and soundproof coatings,” Sutton said on Twitter.
They are stationed in the South China Sea, south of Taiwan. “Their job is usually to protect nuclear ballistic missile submarines, but it’s safe to assume they’ll play a role in any conflict.”
Compared to Western attack submarines, the “09III SHANG” are more focused on anti-ship. And they’re armed with YJ-18 supersonic missiles — no Western submarine has anti-ship missiles of this class, Sutton says.
Type 039A YUAN – the backbone of the Chinese submarine fleet
When the Type 039A Yuan-class submarine first appeared at a Chinese shipyard in 2006, it caused quite a stir. First, it was obviously much more modern than the previous class of songs, and second, it wasn’t advertised. Sutton: “Other countries can usually not build submarines so secretly, which makes the Chinese submarines so interesting.”
The special thing regarding them: They can remain under water for around two months because their propulsion does not depend on oxygen. These submarines are also equipped with the YJ-18 missiles, but also with Yu-6 torpedoes and ground mines, according to the military expert. The Yuan class, with its various innovations, is now considered the backbone of the Chinese submarine fleet.
In addition, Russian Kilo submarines and the Chinese in-house production, the Jin class, are in service with the Chinese Navy.
Mysterious new submarines – China is not to be underestimated
Video of a new Chinese submarine briefly surfaced in mid-February. Rather than following the trend of building large submarines, China has designed a small underwater hull, Sutton explains. He suspects that the submarine was built solely for export – it resembles boats from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. But there are no reports regarding this.
However, white stripes along the top of the sail might indicate that it is intended for the Chinese Navy. These are typically seen on submarines before they enter service, Sutton explains.
China is good at building in secret
Traditionally, small submarines are less powerful, which is why they are not used by the world’s major navies. “Although they are cheaper to build, they compromise on performance, range and speed. Basically, they have less power.”
According to Sutton, however, it is clear that China can be very innovative when it comes to building submarines in secret. It is therefore unclear what the Chinese are currently working on. Whether Chinese submarines would play a role in a potential conflict with Taiwan is an open question. Taiwan itself only has four of its own submarines up its sleeve. (chs)
* This is what the expert calls himself. His real name is not known.
