China’s current submarines have nuclear missile capability but are very noisy.
China’s military modernisation is not just about aircraft carriers or new fighter jets. Yes, these are elements of battlefield superiority and deterrence, and the country is investing heavily in the modernisation and expansion of its navy, but one thing it is also putting its efforts into is the renewal of submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
After the not very successful Type 094 submarine, China is in the process of completing the development of the Type 096 nuclear submarine. And, of course, they are attracting the attention of their main rivals in a scenario reminiscent of the Cold War.
Strengthening maritime presence. Modernisation of the main military armaments has become one of the main strategies of the Xi Jinping government. We are seeing progress in all areas, such as new land-based weapons, the development of stealth ships, the aforementioned aircraft carriers with the electromagnetic Fujian at the forefront, heavy helicopters, fighter jets and even space weapons.
One of the parts of the Chinese navy that is perhaps the most lacking is the ballistic missile submarine, SSBN for short. Not only were they few in number, but their design and operation were not at the cutting edge of what is possible in this context. An example of this is the Type 094 submarine developed at the beginning of the century.
Type 094. In order to close the gap with the United States and to maintain a credible presence in the South China Sea, the country launched the Type 094. This is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine which was the successor to the Type 092 of the mid-1980s. There are an estimated six active units of this submarine, but it is both a light and a shadow ship.
Although its nuclear warheads can reach the US coast from the South China Sea, the main purpose of these submarines is deterrence and stealth (avoiding detection by enemy radars and systems). The problem is that it is as noisy as the Soviet and US submarines of the 1960s. This was an obvious weakness for the “new” submarine, as it made it highly visible to US and allied anti-submarine technology.
And Type 096. The reason for the hype is that its propulsion system is outdated (inspired by Soviet Cold War technology) and the design of the hull, propellers and containment system make it completely ineffective for stealth missions. China has launched quieter variants, such as the Type 094A, but they are still too noisy. An easy target in modern anti-submarine warfare.
This is where the Type 096 comes in. Six more submarines of this class are to be built, with twice the tonnage capacity and twice the ballistic missile capacity, but China is not looking for it for its combat capability, but to solve the problem of its predecessor. Thus, the Type 096 submarine is expected to be as stealthy as Russia’s state-of-the-art submarines. It will also be equipped with enhancements to detect competing submarines.
Challenges. Part of the design effort has been devoted to engine noise suppression, as noted by the SCMP. Presumably, similar to the new Russian submarines, the engines are mounted on huge rubber mounts that help muffle the sound. In addition, the vessel is expected to be ready by the end of this decade.
Now, although they have Russia and the purse strings on their side, experience is skill, and that is what China lacks when it comes to SSBNs. Russia and the United States have decades of experience in this field, so when the Type 096 comes out, it will be clear whether China has made the leap in nuclear submarine design that it is seeking.
Attention is drawn to. Reuters , officials and maritime technical intelligence analysts believe the Type 096 will be a nightmare. According to them, this is because “they will be very, very difficult to detect”. They also say that Russia has shared some of its technology with China to improve the sound performance of the new submarine, and that while they do not believe that Russia has shared its “crown jewels” with China (because it would lose its competitive edge if anything in the relationship went wrong), they are working closely together.
US analysts’ documents speculate on the significance of such a weapon for the US and its allies in the Indochina region, as the presence of a vehicle like the Type 096 would have “profound” implications in an area that is currently of critical importance to many countries. The June 2023 incident in which Type 094 appeared in the Taiwan Strait is an example of the ongoing tensions in this region.
