China builds mystery midget submarine

[AMDR]

China builds mystery midget submarine
China builds mystery midget submarine - IHS Jane's 360

DigitalGlobe imagery published on Google Earth showing what appears to be a midget submarine at the Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan, China. A Type 041 conventional submarine berthed at the same site in January is shown for comparison. (IHS/Google, DigitalGlobe)

China has apparently built a previously unseen midget submarine at its Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan.

DigitalGlobe satellite imagery dated 24 October 2014 showing the submarine was posted on Google Earth and was highlighted by a contributor to the Bellingcat open source intelligence website.

The imagery shows the craft berthed at the pontoon used for fitting out submarines. The midget submarine had left the pontoon by late November and by mid-January 2015, another submarine, probably a Type 041 Yuan-class boat, occupied the berth.

Based on the imagery the midget submarine has an approximate length of 35 m and beam of 4 m, suggesting a surface displacement in the region of 400-500 tonnes.

The Wuchang shipyard is at the forefront of conventional submarine production in China and has constructed most of the Type 039 Song-class and Type 041 Yuan-class boats, including the most recent variant, with its distinctive hydrodynamic fairings between the casing and the fin. It also built the world's largest conventional submarine, the Type 032 Qing-class ballistic missile trials submarine.

 

[Khalid Newazi]

Probably for carrying Special Forces.

 

[cnleio]

Probably for carrying Special Forces.

To test sub-launched VLS system, future PLA sub can launch cruise missile. The type041 is a missile test sub.

 

[CN.Black]

To test sub-launched VLS system, future PLA sub can launch cruise missile. The type041 is a missile test sub.

The article is obviously not about "041"（032）.It's about a 400 ton micro sub which is never identified before.

 

[Henry ME 95]

This could be interesting... Maybe for spec ops but it could be a new model for export.

 

[OrionHunter]

The following is based on a translation of a report in Chinese media:

Huanqiu.com says in its report that DigitalGlobe satellite imagery showed a midget submarine being built at a pontoon in Wuchang Shipyard, a shipyard which specialised in producing China’s conventional submarines.

The photo was posted on Google Earth and was highlighted by a contributor to the Bellingcat open source intelligence website.

Judging by the photo, the midget submarine is 35 metres long and 4 metres wide with an estimated displacement between 400 and 500 tons when submerged.

Previously, Taipei Times says in its report “China’s mini-submarine ‘making neighbours nervous’” that “China is designing a nuclear submarine that incorporates a mini-submarine that could be used to land special operations forces on nearby targets, such asTaiwan.”

The report says that. according to the International Assessment and Strategy Centre senior fellow in Asian military affairs Rick Fisher, the new nuclear submarine is designed for coastal warfare.

Taipei Times quotes Fisher as saying, “Its distinctive features reportedly include a lock-out chamber aft the sail for housing a special operations forces transport vehicle”.

The report says, “The big submarine might also have a six-blade propeller instead of the usual seven blades so that it can move more quietly in shallow waters and manoeuvre close to shore.”

The report quotes Fisher as believing that China is building the nuclear submarine and midget submarine for attacking Taiwan, while Jane’s regards it as a mystery and gives its report the title “China builds mystery midget submarine.”

Source: huanqiu.com – “China building mystery midget submarine with displacement less than 500 tons” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the report in Chinese)