This section of a satellite image from Planet Labs shows a Chinese shipyard in Huludao in the northern province of Liaoning - and a submarine in its dock.
However, the size and top view do not quite correspond to the previously known types. As two green areas are also visible aft of the turret and cross-shaped control surfaces with a casing can be recognised at the stern, experts suspect that this is the prototype of a submarine class equipped with vertical take-off and landing gear (VLS) and pump-jet propulsion.
Chinese plans
China has been pursuing the goal of being able to launch land and sea-based cruise missiles from submerged boats (long-range offensive strike capability) for some time. If the two greenish spots on the top of the boat's hull actually turn out to be VLS, then this could be a Type 093B nuclear submarine with cruise missiles, which the Pentagon assumes will be built in its 2021 report on Chinese military capabilities. The fact that these assumptions are not entirely unfounded is due to a boat type recently shown by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (merger of the two major shipyards since 2019) as a model and as posts on social media, which has 18 VLS in three rows of six launch cells each and the cross rudder. In addition, the determined length of the "found" boat of 110 metres matches the already known boats of type 093 (Shang class, SSN, 6,100 tonnes), so that it is not necessarily a new class, but rather a further developed 3rd batch of this type.
Chinese stock
The Shang class currently consists of six boats (two 093 Shang-I from 2006; four 093A Shang-II from 2016), which differ in the details of the turret and the protrusions behind it. This is precisely where cruise missiles could be located in the future, adding a new dimension to the threat potential of the Chinese navy.
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