Type 093 submarine

The Type 093 submarine (NATO reporting name: Shang class) is a class of nuclear-powered attack submarines constructed by the People's Republic of China for the People's Liberation Army Navy.[1]

Profile of the Type 093
Class overview
NameType 093
BuildersBohai Shipyard, Huludao[1]
Operators People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded byType 091
Succeeded byType 095
In commission2006–present
Planned8[2]
Building2[2]
Completed6[3]
Active6[4]
General characteristics
TypeNuclear-powered attack submarine
Displacement6,096 tonnes (submerged)[1]
Length107 m (351 ft 1 in)[1]
Beam11 m (36 ft 1 in)[1]
Draft7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)[1]
PropulsionPressurized water nuclear reactor[1]
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)[1]
RangeUnlimited
Complement100[1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Type 359 radar[1]
  • Hull-mounted sonar[1]
  • Flank array sonar[1]
  • Passive intercept array sonar[1]
  • Towed array sonar (later variant)[5]
Armament

Development

GlobalSecurity.org reports that development of the Type 093 began in the early 1980s.[6] However, Admiral Liu Huaqing wrote in his memoirs that development began in 1994 following President Jiang Zemin's continued support for nuclear submarine development after the launch of the final Type 091 in 1990. Erickson and Goldstein suggest that the Yinhe incident in 1993,[7] and continued tensions with Taiwan,[8] also drove Jiang Zemin's support of the program. Russian experts aided the design.[1]

The first Type 093 was laid down in 1994 and commissioned in 2006. The second was laid down in 2000 and commissioned in 2007. The first Type 093A was laid down in 2009 and was commissioned in 2015.[1]

History

On August 21, 2023, unsubstantiated rumors emerged on social media claiming that a Type 093 had suffered severe damage in an incident in the vicinity of the Yellow Sea.[9] A spokesperson for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that the nation's intelligence and surveillance systems had not detected evidence of such a crash, while naval expert H. I. Sutton wrote that he had "not seen any convincing evidence to support" the rumors, which claimed the sub had suffered a fatal incident which killed all aboard.[10][11] On August 31, Chinese PLA colonel Wu Qian issued a denial on behalf of the Ministry of National Defense, saying "reports claiming that a Chinese Type 093 nuclear-powered submarine had an accident in the Taiwan Straits are completely false."[12] The denial made no mention of reports centering on the Yellow Sea.

Variants
Type 093

Initial design.[1] In the early 2000s, Chinese sources reported that the Type 093's noise level was on par with the improved Los Angeles-class submarines, and with Project 971 (NATO reporting name Akula) at 110 decibels.[13] In 2009, USN ONI listed the Type 093 as being noisier than Project 671RTM (NATO reporting name Victor III) which entered service in 1979.[14] Two built. NATO reporting name Shang I.[15]

Type 093A

Modified design, possibly with greater length[1] and a hump behind the sail.[16] Four built. NATO reporting name Shang II.[15]

Type 093B

Projected "guided-missile nuclear attack submarine" variant armed with surface/land-attack missiles.[15]

Ships of class
Pennant numberNameBuilderLaunchedCommissionedFleetStatus
Type 093
407[1] Bohai Shipyard[1] 24 December 2002[1] December 2006[1] North Sea Fleet[1] Active[17]
408[1] Bohai Shipyard[1] 2000[1] December 2003[1] North Sea Fleet[1] Active[17]
Type 093A
409[1] Bohai Shipyard[1] 2012[1] Active[17]
410[1] Bohai Shipyard[1] 2013[1] Active[17]
Active[17]
Active[17]
Type 093B
Bohai Shipyard 2022[18]
Bohai Shipyard 2023[18]

See also

References

Citations
  1. Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. p. 129. ISBN 978-0710631435.
  2. "China launches second possible Type 093B hull". Janes.com. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  3. Biggers, Christopher (February 1, 2023). "China launches second possible Type 093B hull". Janes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  4. Biggers, Christopher (February 1, 2023). "China launches second possible Type 093B hull". Janes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  5. "Shang-Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines, China". Naval Technology.
  6. "Type 093 Shang-class Nuclear Attack Submarine". GlobalSecurity.org. 24 November 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  7. Erickson and Goldstein (2007: 58)
  8. Erickson and Goldstein (2007: 64-65)
  9. "Chinese submarine crash rumor unsubstantiated: MND". Taipei Times. 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  10. Sutton, H. I. [@covertshores] (August 22, 2023). "**UPDATE** I deleted the post re reported missing #Chinese submarine. So far not seen any convincing evidence to support rumors, and too much weight is being placed on my posts (despite my caveats) Treat topic with caution ⚠️ Awaiting credible info #OSINT" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. Sutton, H. I. [@covertshores] (August 21, 2023). "Reports suggest all crew died. If so, RIP. However, again, caution that currently no evidence. And some reporting is less credible. But important to listen for more. More info on this class of submarine [www.hisutton.com/Chinese-Navy-Type-093-Shang-Class-Submarine.html]" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. Qian, Wu (2023-08-31). "Rumors about a Chinese nuclear submarine accident completely false: Defense Spokesperson". Chinese Ministry of National Defense. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  13. Erickson and Goldstein (2007: 67)
  14. Office of Naval Intelligence (2009: 22)
  15. United States Department of Defense 2021, p. 49.
  16. "Image shows new variant of China's Type 093 attack submarine". janes.com. 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  17. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (2022). The Military Balance 2022. Routledge. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-032-27900-8.
  18. "China launches second possible Type 093B hull". janes.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

Sources
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.