Meet China’s nuclear submarines – Odd News

Two days before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in China in April this year for meetings with the leader and other senior Chinese officials, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy released footage of a nuclear submarine firing a ballistic missile.

The video, which also shows three other submarines from the Shandong carrier battle group, was released as part of the celebrations of the country's navy's 75th anniversary. Two months after its release, a Chinese ballistic missile submarine appeared in the Taiwan Strait near Taiwan's Kinmen Islands.

This public show of force is the latest evidence that China is serious about its ambitions to strengthen its nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

China is building on the decades-long failures of its predecessors and is constructing a growing submarine fleet, with vessels becoming increasingly more capable to rival modern U.S. submarines, suggesting that China believes its ambitions can be based on an undersea fleet capable of sinking rivals and deterring enemies from launching nuclear strikes.

The country's huge shipbuilding industry is producing nuclear submarines at a rapid pace, and new designs are currently being developed.

Nuclear attack submarines

China's interest in nuclear submarines dates back to the 1950s, shortly after the U.S. Navy commissioned the world's first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus. However, because the Soviet Union was unwilling to transfer nuclear propulsion technology to China, the Chinese had to start from scratch.

China's first attempt to build a nuclear submarine focused on developing a nuclear attack submarine (a so-called SSN) because the design of a nuclear ballistic missile submarine would have required the simultaneous development of a shipboard reactor, a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and an underwater launch system.

The project was approved in 1958, but construction of the first submarine did not begin until 1968. Although it was launched in 1970, construction was further delayed due to the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, and the ship did not enter service until 1974.

The ship was known as the Type 091 and was designated Han class by NATO. It was between 98 and 107 meters long and displaced over 5,000 tons submerged. It was armed with six torpedo tubes on the bow that could fire at ships or other submarines. A total of five Type 091 SSNs were built between 1968 and 1990.

The 091 class was not as combat-capable as comparable submarines, mainly because they were the first nuclear submarines China had ever built and because there was no propulsion assistance; the submarine's reactor must be stable enough to continuously provide mechanical energy to turn the propeller and generate electricity. These submarines were considerably noisier than most of their contemporaries and were considered significantly outdated.

The Type 091 submarines carried out numerous missions and were involved in several incidents. They were also upgraded in the early 2000s to improve their performance, but they served more as a stepping stone for future nuclear submarines than as a front-line asset. Two of the five submarines have already been decommissioned.

China's second-generation SSN, Type 093, represented a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. Development of these submarines, known by NATO as the Shang class, began in the 1980s, but construction of the first submarine did not begin until 1998, four years after Chinese leaders decided to proceed with building a new class of SSNs to better meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Unlike the Type 091, the Type 093 benefited from technology transfers from Russia. The Russian design bureau Rubin reportedly also advised the Chinese on the overall design of the class. The first submarine was launched in 2003 and entered service in 2006.

The Type 093 ships are 107 meters long and displace about 7,000 tons, and have six torpedo tubes that can fire wire-guided, acoustic and wake-seeking torpedoes. They can also fire YJ-18 and YJ-82 anti-ship missiles and are equipped with sonars on the bow and sides.

Seven Type 093 SSNs were built in three variants: two Type 093s, four Type 093As, and at least one Type 093B. The Type 093A is an improved design with improved noise reduction – noise is one of the clearest signs of a submarine and can be detected by passive sonars and hydrophones. The Type 093B is a further improved version, equipped with a pump-jet engine and the ability to deploy a towed sonar array. It is expected to play more of a land-attack role with long-range cruise missiles.

Submarines with nuclear ballistic missiles

Also known as “boomers” and classified as “SSBNs,” nuclear ballistic missile submarines are perhaps the best nuclear deterrent tool a nation can possess. They are designed to remain submerged and conduct patrols for months at a time. They carry long-range nuclear missiles and preserve a country's ability to retaliate in the event of an attack, known as a second-strike capability. Operational submarines are much harder to destroy compared to intercontinental ballistic missile silos and strategic bombers.

China's first SSBN, the Type 092 (known as the Xia class by NATO), was based on the Type 091 SSN. Only one example was built, launched in 1981 and commissioned in 1983. It was about 393 feet long and had a submerged displacement of about 8,000 tons. It was equipped with six torpedo tubes and 12 launch silos for SLBMs.

Like the Type 091, the problematic Type 092 is considered little more than a test prototype.

Although the plant was commissioned in 1983, it did not begin operation until 1987. It had a disastrous safety record, there were reports of radiation leaks, and it was also quite noisy – so loud that it was almost certainly detected by its opponents.

The SLBM it carried, the JL-1, was also relatively unspectacular. It was not fully operational until 1988 and could not carry multiple launch rockets with independently targetable reentry missiles (MIRVs). It carried only a single nuclear warhead with an explosive yield of between 200 and 300 kilotons. Its range was also limited, varying between 1,690 and 2,144 kilometers, which severely limited its ability to hit important targets.

As a result, the Type 092 never conducted a single deterrent patrol and mostly remained in Chinese territorial waters or docked at naval bases in China. Despite all its shortcomings, the Type 092 served as a springboard for the development of China's next SSBN, the Type 094.

Designated the Jin class by NATO, the Type 094 represents a significant improvement over its predecessor, featuring a new propulsion system, improved electronics and sensors, and – perhaps most importantly – lower noise levels.

With a length of 450 feet and a submerged displacement of about 10,000 tons, the Type 094's armament is similar to that of the Type 092 (six torpedo tubes and 12 SLBM launchers), but it carries a different SLBM: the JL-2.

Capable of carrying a one-megaton nuclear warhead or 3-8 MIRVs, the JL-2 was introduced in 2015 and has an estimated range of 4,970 to 5,592 miles. In 2022, it was reported that China had begun deploying the new JL-3 SLBM on its Type 094.

The JL-3 can carry a single 1-megaton nuclear warhead and possibly multiple MIRVs and is believed to have a range of over 6,200 miles, bringing the U.S. West Coast within range of Chinese SLBMs for the first time.

For comparison, the US Navy's Ohio-class SSBNs are armed with 20 Trident II SLBMs, which reportedly have a minimum range of 1,242 miles and a maximum range of 7,456 miles.

Six Type 094 submarines have been built, the first launched in 2001. The two newest submarines are the modernized Type 094A. This class represents China's first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent. The U.S. Department of Defense reported in 2022 that China is “conducting continuous deterrent patrols at sea” for the first time.

Numbers, sophistication and use

The growth of China's nuclear submarine fleet is impressive, especially considering the time frame. According to the US Department of Defense, China has built 12 nuclear submarines in the last 15 years.

This growth is not limited to numbers, but also extends to capabilities. China's newest nuclear submarines are coming closer to their American counterparts. The Type 093, for example, is said to be as quiet as the US Navy's current Los Angeles-class SSNs.

China's fleet of diesel-electric submarines is also growing larger and more sophisticated. The newest Class 039 submarines were recently upgraded to improve stealth and extend submerged time.

The increasing number and technology reflects the importance that China attaches to submarines – especially nuclear ones – in possible future conflicts with its regional and global adversaries.

Because of their ability to remain submerged for long periods of time, Chinese SSNs could act as hunters for American and allied ships and submarines in the waters east of Taiwan, potentially forcing them to retreat toward the second island chain.

Chinese SSBNs, meanwhile, would likely operate from the safety of their bases in the South China Sea, ready to fire their SLBMs if needed. They could also operate in the Sea of ​​Japan, extending the missiles' range further toward the U.S. mainland.

At the same time, they could be supported by their fleet of diesel-electric attack submarines and the Great Underwater Wall, a network of sensors anchored in the seabed of the East and South China Seas designed to detect rival submarines.

However, China's nuclear submarines still face limitations. The Type 094, for example, is reportedly louder than Russia's Delta III-class SSBNs from the 1970s and about twice as loud as their current American or Russian counterparts.

China's ambitions for nuclear submarines remain undiminished. A new SSBN class, the Type 096, has been in development for years and is expected to be operational by 2030. A new SSN, the Type 095, is also planned.

Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist who covers international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in global affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has been published in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

Read the original article on Business Insider.