PLAN Type 035/039/091/092 Submarine Thread

[sealordlawrence]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

Some recent photos of the new 039B submarine. Not much has changed. There is some rumour that there was already an unit of this type launched. However, due to lack of evidence toward that side, I'd have to classify it as rumour.

I am guessing that the submarine in the background is a Yuan class, the 5th unit perhaps?

 

[duskylim]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

I am guessing that the submarine in the background is a Yuan class, the 5th unit perhaps?

Sharp eyes sir!

I had to do a double-take, and found the background sub on pic 3, with the same CSIC logos painted on the fin.

The 'new' foreground sub puts their relative sizes in perspective - the new sub is much larger than the one in the background.

Hmmm.... ocean-going SSK.

 

[maozedong]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

I am sure the back ground one is Yuan, but not sure it's 5th or 6th,I hope this is last one.

 

[sealordlawrence]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

I am sure the back ground one is Yuan, but not sure it's 5th or 6th,I hope this is last one.

I was assuming 5th on the basis of the unknown status of the 5th unit, it could plausibly be a sixth though. Based on the CSIC symbols all over it it looks like it has only just been launched. If someone has something near a definitive answer I would love to hear it.

By my reckoning, including the Song class, China now has 31 or 32 "modern" diesel-electric submarines.

 

[tphuang]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

I am sure the back ground one is Yuan, but not sure it's 5th or 6th,I hope this is last one.

why do you hope it's the last one? They built a few more Songs after the first Yuan was built. If we follow the typical pattern of PLAN, they build one prototype, test it out and continue to build older types before mass producing the new types.

Sharp eyes sir!

I had to do a double-take, and found the background sub on pic 3, with the same CSIC logos painted on the fin.

The 'new' foreground sub puts their relative sizes in perspective - the new sub is much larger than the one in the background.

Hmmm.... ocean-going SSK.

somehow, I totally missed out on it the first time. Yes, Yuan does look smaller although we can't judge the size purely on the sail. And honestly, even that one doesn't look like Yuan exactly. The sail looks to have more stealthy curves and I don't see torpedo tubes either. Should be a new one from the previous ones.

 

[Galrahn]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

There are two submarines in this photo - the front one is not a Yuan, while the second one in the back looks like a Yuan.

Does anyone else notice the similarities between the front submarine and Russian designs? Indeed there is very little in common with the front submarine and either the Song or Yuan class.

Looks to me like it has the sail of a Kilo and the hull very similar to the Lada class (the Lada class hull has a few advancements the well photographed Yuans do not appear to have).

Calling the front submarine a Type 039B seems inaccurate.

 

[tphuang]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

Yep, I would say that it has a lot of russian influence, seems to be a leap in stealth from previous chinese submarines. I don't think the improvement in noise level from song to yuan was that large, although they probably created yuan to have a larger platform that could dive deeper, have longer endurance and also carry aip engine. As for classification , not sure if it will receive a new code like 041. Pretty sure yuan was still 039 in plan. That does not mean the submarine is not a completely different beast. For example, 052 and 052c are clearly different, but they are both in the same series, because plan seems to classify all the ddgs with codog propulsion that way.

 

[Orthan]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

There are two submarines in this photo - the front one is not a Yuan, while the second one in the back looks like a Yuan.

Does anyone else notice the similarities between the front submarine and Russian designs? Indeed there is very little in common with the front submarine and either the Song or Yuan class.

Looks to me like it has the sail of a Kilo and the hull very similar to the Lada class (the Lada class hull has a few advancements the well photographed Yuans do not appear to have).

Calling the front submarine a Type 039B seems inaccurate.

Heh. This is big if this submarine is based on the lada class. The lada is the best ssk that the russians have, now and in the foreseeable future. I doubt the russians will be happy about that.

 

[Galrahn]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

Heh. This is big if this submarine is based on the lada class. The lada is the best ssk that the russians have, now and in the foreseeable future. I doubt the russians will be happy about that.

tphuang - good point on how the PLA Navy classifies with Type ##s, guess we will have to wait and see.

Orthan - the comparisons to the Lada are pretty clear IMO. Lots of people have picked up on this, see the analysis in Janes, among others.

 

[tphuang]

Re: PLAN submarines Thread II

To orthan,

I don't think the sig management on this boat is as good as lada. However, I do think it is quite an advancement over previous plan submarines if we just look at the sail some of the hull improvements and limber hole arrangements. But if we compare it with the public available photo of U214 or other advanced conventional subs like oyashio class, I think you can still see a gap.

Either way, I think it is worth following this development and what china wants to do with yuan class. I have read a decent source stating that they planed to launch four yuan submarines this year in wuchang. We only have picture for one so far, but I think we could be seeing a lot of movement here in the coming few month.