Rumors surfaced on April 23, the 75th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), indicating the construction of a new attack submarine at the China State Shipbuilding Corp.-owned Wuchang Shipyard. The limited details available at the time anticipated a 4,000-ton displacement and a mini nuclear reactor to power the propulsion system’s batteries.
Satellite imagery lent credibility to this rumor. A photograph taken a few days later and shared in July by Tom Shugart, a former US Navy officer turned research fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), confirmed the presence of an unknown submarine moored at a dock in the Wuchang shipyard.
An analysis of the image suggested that the submarine’s design was based on the conventional Type 039 submarine (which forms the backbone of China’s submarine fleet) but was 10 meters longer. The St. Andrew’s cross-shaped rudder of the submarine likely enhances its maneuverability.
However, another satellite image from June suggested that there had been an incident at the Wuchang shipyard. They deployed four barges equipped with cranes to the area where they spotted the new submarine, believed to be the first in a class named “Zhou” (or Type 041). This indicated unusual activity.
A senior Pentagon official recently provided an explanation to the Wall Street Journal. According to this official, the submarine sank while it was still at the dock, likely during a static dive test. Chinese authorities have attempted to cover up the incident.
It is not surprising that the PLAN tried to conceal the fact that its new nuclear-powered attack submarine, the first of its kind, sank at the dock, commented the senior official. The incident, he added, not only raises obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality but also raises concerns about internal accountability within the PLAN and oversight of China’s defense industry, long plagued by corruption.
Furthermore, according to the Wall Street Journal, the United States “does not know if the submarine contained nuclear fuel at the time of its sinking.” However, experts believe the submarine likely contained nuclear fuel, which raises additional concerns, particularly regarding nuclear safety. In any case, US authorities have not detected any signs of taking water samples for radiation testing. It is also unknown if there were any casualties.
It remains unlikely that Chinese authorities will confirm this incident. “We are not aware of the situation you mention and currently have no information to provide,” China’s embassy in the US told Reuters.
For context, the PLAN operates six Type 094/094A nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and nine nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), including three Type 093s, four Type 093As, and three Type 091s (Han-class). Most of its fleet consists of 45 conventionally powered attack submarines, with the Type 039 being the most prevalent model.
