09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread

[BoraTas]

This cutaway illustration is from museum of Harbin Engineering University, There is also a 094 or 094B model in the show room as well.

It put another nail on debate of authenticity of the model which is commissioned by 702nd Institute. I mean hardly anyone knows of 702nd Institute let alone make many fake model with their label on.

Screenshot taken from their Bilibili account:

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IMO we can conclude two things from here with high confidence

1- The art and model depict the same design. They might be different revisions because of the VLS numbers but everything else is too similar.

2- The model was by a relevant government organization.

Things we can't conclude are if the said model has anything to do with recently launched SSNs. Or, if not, was the design ever accepted by PLA.

 

[Blitzo]

A scaled comparison on the art with the model from last year, next to each other

 

[grulle]

I read online that the 93b is as quiet as the improved LA class. Is this true?

 

[Blitzo]

I read online that the 93b is as quiet as the improved LA class. Is this true?

We can't provide simple yes/no answers to random online observations with confidence, because there's no grounds for those answers to be made.

 

[VESSEL]

I read online that the 93b is as quiet as the improved LA class. Is this true?

No. 93b is quieter than Virginia class block V.

 

[Blitzo]

No. 93b is quieter than Virginia class block V.

Yeah, you can't just give that kind of answer or claim of that magnitude and smell test concern without significant elaboration.

 

[gelgoog]

Considering how little we know about the Type 093B it is hard to make any statements on stealth or whatever. It isn't even in service yet.

 

[tphuang]

A scaled comparison on the art with the model from last year, next to each other

I was not expecting such a large vls module

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

I was not expecting such a large vls module

I believe there are actually two rows of 8x VLS cells on the Harbin's design, i.e. 16x VLS cells in total.

Having only 8x VLS cells seem too few for a proper SSN - Unless, those are multipack VLS tubes...

 

[Blitzo]

I was not expecting such a large vls module

We don't know between the art and the model, which one's depiction of the VLS area is true.

We also technically don't know how many columns of VLS tubes the art depicts... Though I do agree that it is probably three columns similar to the model.

I believe there are actually two rows of 8x VLS cells on the Harbin's design, i.e. 16x VLS cells in total.

Having only 8x VLS cells seem too few for a proper SSN - Unless, those are multipack VLS tubes...

It's possible that the art has two columns of 8 tubes... But from this angle we can't tell.
One column of 8 tubes is definitely unlikely, so imo it is likely either 2x8 or 3x8...


... Keeping in mind we have indicators that they've looked into "three in a row" (i.e. three columns) within a pressure hull before for a double hulled submarine, I'm tempted to think that the most likely VLS arrangement we should expect for this new submarine (which I believe is 09IIB) is to have three columns of VLS tubes, with the number of tubes per column yet to be determined, but both 6 per column (per the model) or 8 per column (suggested by the art) seem viable to me. After all the difference between 6 and 8 is about longitudinal arrangement in that hull section rather than cross section (which would require redesign).