Images emerge of new Chinese submarine

[Kailash Kumar]

Images emerge of new Chinese submarine

01 November 2018

Photographs have emerged on online forums showing that a new design of submarine has been built at China's Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard. Although the images do not allow accurate estimates of the size of the boat to be made, it appears that the submarine is about 50 m long with a pressure hull diameter of about 5 m.

The most significant feature evident from the photographs is the absence of a fin (sail). The images were taken looking upwards and show no detail of the casing and the fairing, which appears to be in the position where the fin would normally be constructed.

No official information has been released about the boat but online posts suggest that it is an experimental submarine. The images give no indication of how many torpedo or missile tubes it has, if any.

Satellite imagery of the Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan taken in October 2014 showed a small submarine alongside the fitting-out pontoon. It was estimated to be 35 m long with a beam of about 3.5 m. However, no further photographs have emerged either from satellites or from observers on the ground, notwithstanding that the vessel would have had a river transit of over 800 km to reach the sea.

https://www.janes.com/article/84210/images-emerge-of-new-chinese-submarine

 

[Feng Leng]

Images emerge of new Chinese submarine

01 November 2018

Photographs have emerged on online forums showing that a new design of submarine has been built at China's Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard. Although the images do not allow accurate estimates of the size of the boat to be made, it appears that the submarine is about 50 m long with a pressure hull diameter of about 5 m.

The most significant feature evident from the photographs is the absence of a fin (sail). The images were taken looking upwards and show no detail of the casing and the fairing, which appears to be in the position where the fin would normally be constructed.

No official information has been released about the boat but online posts suggest that it is an experimental submarine. The images give no indication of how many torpedo or missile tubes it has, if any.

Satellite imagery of the Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan taken in October 2014 showed a small submarine alongside the fitting-out pontoon. It was estimated to be 35 m long with a beam of about 3.5 m. However, no further photographs have emerged either from satellites or from observers on the ground, notwithstanding that the vessel would have had a river transit of over 800 km to reach the sea.

https://www.janes.com/article/84210/images-emerge-of-new-chinese-submarine

Maybe it's an intercontinental nuclear torpedo.

 

[Kailash Kumar]

Maybe it's an intercontinental nuclear torpedo.

Well it is experimental, they say.
So it could also be an unmanned submarine.

 

[monitor]

China's "new" mystery small sub may be derived from a Russian Klavesin/Harpsichord AUV


Photo A. (Photo repeated on Jane's via mil.news.sina.com.cn)
---


Andrew Tate for IHS Jane's Defence Weekly reports November 1, 2018 about what (in Photo A.) looks like a Chinese special mission submarine on the stocks at China’s Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard.
Without indications of size (like a man or vehicle next to the sub) it may be "50 m long with a pressure hull diameter of about 5 m".
If completed? (and that is a major gap in non-Chinese knowledge) its evident lack of a fin/sail may indicate that its a deep diving test submarine, maybe:
1. going further than the old Russian Alfa class (small size, small crew, highly automated) with a small sail design OR

2. Using Russian analogies this Chinese sub (Photo A.) may be similar to the deep diving special mission "baby" Losharik (diagram above - thankyou H. I. Sutton) The small sail on the Losharik makes ascending into the belly of a Belgorod (thanks again H. I. Sutton) "mother" Delta or Oscar variant submarine, easier. The Chinese (Photo A.) unmanned or manned special mission submarine may have the principal mission of tapping submarine cables 1,000+ meters down on the seafloor as well under-seabed energy and mineral searches.

Photo B.
--
China's (50m long?) object in Photo A. may be a derivative of Russia's much smaller (6.5m long) "Klavesin"/"Harpsichord" object in Photo B.)

About Photo B. (an AUV/UUV/ROV) this is Russian Rubin's Klavesin-2R-PM UUV(navyrecognition Reported June 28, 2016):
"In 2015, Rubin finished the production of working construction documentation for Klavesin-2R-PM UUV intended for search operations at depths down to 6,000 m. The Rubin`s research and development (R&D) fabrication line produced the vehicle`s prototype. The special testing equipment with transport-docking module was manufactured to test the vehicle`s algorithms. In late 2016, the UUV`s demonstrator was tested at the Krylov State Research Center`s experimental tank to confirm its meeting to the operational requirements and to define the vehicle`s navigability", the report said."

Photo B. seems the same as, or similar to, H. I. Sutton's Harpsichord-2P-PM (scroll half way down this site) which records a AUV with "Specifications Length 6.5m, Diameter 1m, Weight in air about 3.700 kg, Range: about 27 nm, Operating depth: 6,000m (according to Rubin. Some reports suggest ~2,000 m)".
If true, while countries usually claim new submarines (or AUVs) are their own new "indigenous" invention it pays to re-invent someone else's "wheel".

 

[Beast]

China's "new" mystery small sub may be derived from a Russian Klavesin/Harpsichord AUV


Photo A. (Photo repeated on Jane's via mil.news.sina.com.cn)
---


Andrew Tate for IHS Jane's Defence Weekly reports November 1, 2018 about what (in Photo A.) looks like a Chinese special mission submarine on the stocks at China’s Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard.
Without indications of size (like a man or vehicle next to the sub) it may be "50 m long with a pressure hull diameter of about 5 m".
If completed? (and that is a major gap in non-Chinese knowledge) its evident lack of a fin/sail may indicate that its a deep diving test submarine, maybe:
1. going further than the old Russian Alfa class (small size, small crew, highly automated) with a small sail design OR

2. Using Russian analogies this Chinese sub (Photo A.) may be similar to the deep diving special mission "baby" Losharik (diagram above - thankyou H. I. Sutton) The small sail on the Losharik makes ascending into the belly of a Belgorod (thanks again H. I. Sutton) "mother" Delta or Oscar variant submarine, easier. The Chinese (Photo A.) unmanned or manned special mission submarine may have the principal mission of tapping submarine cables 1,000+ meters down on the seafloor as well under-seabed energy and mineral searches.

Photo B.
--
China's (50m long?) object in Photo A. may be a derivative of Russia's much smaller (6.5m long) "Klavesin"/"Harpsichord" object in Photo B.)

About Photo B. (an AUV/UUV/ROV) this is Russian Rubin's Klavesin-2R-PM UUV(navyrecognition Reported June 28, 2016):
"In 2015, Rubin finished the production of working construction documentation for Klavesin-2R-PM UUV intended for search operations at depths down to 6,000 m. The Rubin`s research and development (R&D) fabrication line produced the vehicle`s prototype. The special testing equipment with transport-docking module was manufactured to test the vehicle`s algorithms. In late 2016, the UUV`s demonstrator was tested at the Krylov State Research Center`s experimental tank to confirm its meeting to the operational requirements and to define the vehicle`s navigability", the report said."

Photo B. seems the same as, or similar to, H. I. Sutton's Harpsichord-2P-PM (scroll half way down this site) which records a AUV with "Specifications Length 6.5m, Diameter 1m, Weight in air about 3.700 kg, Range: about 27 nm, Operating depth: 6,000m (according to Rubin. Some reports suggest ~2,000 m)".
If true, while countries usually claim new submarines (or AUVs) are their own new "indigenous" invention it pays to re-invent someone else's "wheel".

Definitely a manned sub. The size is too big for unmanned.

 

[Yaseen1]

how many icbms it can launch at a time.Russia and u.s have showed multiple launching of icbms through submarine in few minutes

 

[Beast]

how many icbms it can launch at a time.Russia and u.s have showed multiple launching of icbms through submarine in few minutes

You seems to have come to the wrong thread...

 

[Yaseen1]

china has not yet demonstrated firepower of its submarines like u.s and russia that is why I asked this

You seems to have come to the wrong thread...

 

[Oldman1]

Well it is experimental, they say.
So it could also be an unmanned submarine.

Unmanned submarine that big?

 

[Kailash Kumar]

Unmanned submarine that big?

Well, probably not.

 

[Beast]

china has not yet demonstrated firepower of its submarines like u.s and russia that is why I asked this

China has demonstrated that power but China is not that opened to public about such launch. They are not like US and Russia flaunting power. They prefer to keep low profile. Even the DF-41 test launch news is disclose by US rather than China.

https://www.janes.com/article/80877...issioning-df-41-icbm-after-latest-test-launch

Multiple launch of ICBM salvo with MIRV from SSBN is not some alien tech only exclusive to Russia and US. French and British SSBN all possess such technology. And this is basic requirement for truely operational SSBN.

https://thediplomat.com/2015/12/china-deploys-first-nuclear-deterrence-patrol/

 

[Yaseen1]

China has demonstrated that power but China is not that opened to public about such launch. They are not like US and Russia flaunting power. They prefer to keep low profile. Even the DF-41 test launch news is disclose by US rather than China.

https://www.janes.com/article/80877...issioning-df-41-icbm-after-latest-test-launch

Multiple launch of ICBM salvo with MIRV from SSBN is not some alien tech only exclusive to Russia and US. French and British SSBN all possess such technology. And this is basic requirement for truely operational SSBN.

https://thediplomat.com/2015/12/china-deploys-first-nuclear-deterrence-patrol/

Such demonstrations are proof of operation readines and improve public trust on defence forces last time when france joined u.s to attack syria its submarine fails to launch missiles due to lack of operational readiness and british submarine was hunted by russia so prepeeation and continous testing of weapon is necessary

 

[Beast]

Such demonstrations are proof of operation readines and improve public trust on defence forces last time when france joined u.s to attack syria its submarine fails to launch missiles due to lack of operational readiness and british submarine was hunted by russia so prepeeation and continous testing of weapon is necessary

You misunderstood. I never claim China dont demonstrate but is never open about such test to public. Sure US is not moron not to know such China successfully conducted such test given they have the most spy satellite to watch us.

China is not a warmonger like US flaunting about those doomesday weapon which can killed billions of people to public. China only want the US military to know China has enough power to flatten them. US public opinion to China military matters little.

Remember the ASAT test in 2007 which we knockout a satellite. This test is not disclosed by China itself but US Intel to the world. Sure US military is aware of SSBN capabilities but they prefer to misled the rest of the world ordinary citizen they still has a big edge over China in nuclear technology.

 

[rambro]

Such demonstrations are proof of operation readines and improve public trust on defence forces last time when france joined u.s to attack syria its submarine fails to launch missiles due to lack of operational readiness and british submarine was hunted by russia so prepeeation and continous testing of weapon is necessary

Subs are meant to be hush hush matter
No news is good news

 

[khansaheeb]

Maybe it's an intercontinental nuclear torpedo.

It looks like a giant inflatable decoy to tie up enemy spymasters and analysts.