Not seeing it. The scaffolding on the bottom sub is ~twice the length of the VLS section. The gap in the shadow is the bit behind the VLS. So potentially room for 2-4 more rows IMHO. Not saying they're actually there, though.
09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread
- Thread starter SinoSoldier
- Start date
The scaffolding at the VLS section of the bottom boat is actually longer towards the front (and past the rear base edge of the sail structure) than the ones on the top boat. At 200% magnification, I measured about 9cm for the bottom boat's VLS section scaffolding, and about 7cm for the top boat ones.
With the same magnification, I measured about 13-13.5cm for the sail structure base's length.
However, courtesy of some discussions on Weibo regarding the latest satellite photos of the 093B SSNs, there are these parts which I have missed:
#1 are the sail structures of both boats.
#2 circled in green is the 3x4 VLS tubes which we've seen on the satellite photo. The rough location of the same 3x4 VLS section on the top boat is indicated by #3 circled in yellow.
However, there's the section that is marked #5 and circled in orange for both boats that are located right behind the 3x4 VLS section on the bottom boat which looks like blue/grey-ish empty racks that consists of 3 columns. The length of the 3x4 VLS section (marked #2) is also nearly same as the empty rack section (marked #5) for the bottom boat (which is about 3cm for both sections).
#4 markings indicate roughly the spacings between the rear edge of sail structure base (marked #1) and the front edge of the 3x4 VLS section (marked #2) for the bottom boat.
If anything - More people on Weibo are pointing out that there is an additional 3x3 or 3x4 empty VLS tubes located right behind the 3x4 VLS section, which already had their VLS tubes installed when this photo was taken (hence the visible orange caps/tube covers).
Therefore, we could indeed be looking at the 093B SSNs that are either equipped with 3x6 = 18 VLS tubes or 3x8 = 24 VLS tubes.
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I mean, if you want more VLS tubes, you need a longer sub. The crew member need sufficient living quarters.
Is there a reason they would deliberately hide VLS sections here? or why they would have two separate coverings over VLS section?
Is there a reason they would deliberately hide VLS sections here? or why they would have two separate coverings over VLS section?
I don't think they were hiding. More like they're slightly more difficult to spot.
As for the "separate coverings" - I've seen comments on Weibo pointing towards the 24x VLS tubes being grouped into two groups of 12 (i.e. 3x4) tubes each, or one group with 12 (i.e. 3x4) tubes and the other with 8 (i.e. 2x4) tubes.
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Note that I didn’t question the possibility of VLS on a 093 variant, only the likelihood that a 093 variant unchanged in length could suddenly poop out 18 new VLS tubes. Did anyone actually measure the length of this boat or did you just assume the boat is 110m.
You can go to EO Sentinel and measure them yourself. Though, variation in measurement of up to +/- 5 meters can be expected with the less-than-ideal imagery resolution available on EO Sentinel.
Unless you have access to much better methods of measuring them with much greater accuracy and sensitivity than what we laymen have at our disposal, then be my guest.
So you’re saying the length is what, still 110m +/- 5m? If they added 5m to this new boat why would anyone be shocked about the appearance of a row of 3x4 VLS cells? The exact length is key.
Because we don't have good resolution and detailed satellite photographies to work with. The Google Map/Earth don't have the photography of Huludao Shipyard with a 093B SSN in it so far. Constantly updated photos from the EO Sentinel/Corpencius are pretty much all we have, apart from occassional greater quality photos from Airbus and Maxar, but those are paid.
So if you really do want the exact length of the 093B, there are 3 things which you can do:
1. Ask for the exact measurements from Tom Shugart, since he's the first one to post these photos on the internet; or
2. Go to Google HQ and tell them to update the satellite imagery of Huludao on Google Maps/Earth, then measure it there after Google updated the imagery; or
3. Get some 100-meter wheel measuring tapes, fly to Beijing, take a HSR to Huludao, take a taxi to the shipyard, scale the perimeter walls, measure that boat, and come back to us with the exact length of that boat.
The backpedal is crazy. You said 'that it has A Vertical Launch System was near zero' meaning that it can't have any VLS if the size remained as estimated. But now you said you were only referencing about having an 18 cell launch system. Okay, here it is with A VLS of 12 cells.
Well tbh the length doesn’t matter all that much to me. I was only pointing that detail out to you since you seemed intent on gloating for some internet points without having access to the most relevant detail, which is the length.