Yuan Class AIP & Kilo Submarine Thread

[lcloo]

So what are they going to use after 39? 310?

They don't have to designate the SSK class in sequential numericals like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Thus they can always take a numerical that has not been used. Or they could use designation like type 039D/E/F.....Z.(example Song and Yuan class)

Thus far in PLAN we have
type 03 for Wiskey class (retired),
type 031 modified Golf class for testbed of submarine launched missiles (retired),
type 032 testbed for SLBM (in current service), often mistakenly identified as type 041 previously.
type 033 for Romeo class (retired),
type 035 for Ming class (mostly retired, others serve in training roles)
type 039 for Song and Yuan class (in current service).

Thus there remains slot for type 034, 036, 037 and 038. What would they do after exhausting all 03X designation is up to speculation in future, may be after 40 to 50 years from now.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

They don't have to designate the SSK class in sequential numericals like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Thus they can always take a numerical that has not been used. Or they could use designation like type 039D/E/F.....Z.(example Song and Yuan class)

Thus far in PLAN we have
type 03 for Wiskey class (retired),
type 031 modified Golf class for testbed of submarine launched missiles (retired),
type 032 testbed for SLBM (in current service), often mistakenly identified as type 041 previously.
type 033 for Romeo class (retired),
type 035 for Ming class (mostly retired, others serve in training roles)
type 039 for Song and Yuan class (in current service).

Thus there remains slot for type 034, 036, 037 and 038. What would they do after exhausting all 03X designation is up to speculation in future, may be after 40 to 50 years from now.

The "mini-nuke"-powered SS(N)Ks definitely will be distinct enough from all SSKs in the PLAN, which certainly warrants a brand new class designation of their own that will be completely separate from their predecessors i.e. 093/093A/093B/093C series.

Also the fact of which the SS(N)K itself is nuclear powered while still using the SSK-category hull has sorta blurred the line between SSKs and SSNs, IMO.

This is really an interesting case for classification...

 

[lcloo]

The "mini-nuke"-powered SS(N)Ks definitely will be distinct enough from all SSKs in the PLAN, which certainly warrants a brand new class designation of their own that will be completely separate from their predecessors i.e. 093/093A/093B/093C series.

Also the fact of which the SS(N)K itself is nuclear powered while still using the SSK-category hull has sorta blurred the line between SSKs and SSNs, IMO.

This is really an interesting case for classification...

As long as the populsion is nuclear powered, I expect its designation will still be under type 09X. The classification is not about the hull as in "using the SSK-category hull".

Also, we don't know definitely if the mini nuclear powered submarine will be accepted by PLAN to enter serial production or just a one off experiment.

 

[Maikeru]

What evidence is there of this "mini-nuke" submarine? What is it supposed to be? Just a small SSN? Or some sort of hybrid SSN/SSP?

 

[BoraTas]

The 7th 039C is currently being built.

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还是捣蛋 said the 041 is coming up, not sure whether it will be nuclear powered.

View attachment 112849View attachment 112850
还是捣蛋

I was spot on then. It seems they are really launching 3 annually.

If we assume there were 20 Yuans before the C variant, and there are 6 C variants around, the AIP sub fleet has 26 vessels. This is significant. Combined with ~21 non-AIP subs, probably means the most potent SSK fleet.

 

[lcloo]

What evidence is there of this "mini-nuke" submarine? What is it supposed to be? Just a small SSN? Or some sort of hybrid SSN/SSP?

It is rumoured that China is developing a mini nucleared powered submarine, and this has been circulating on the internet for years. However, we do not have any information on its displacement, length, weapon configuration etc.

 

[by78]

A bigger version of a previously shared image.

 

[antiterror13]

I was spot on then. It seems they are really launching 3 annually.

If we assume there were 20 Yuans before the C variant, and there are 6 C variants around, the AIP sub fleet has 26 vessels. This is significant. Combined with ~21 non-AIP subs, probably means the most potent SSK fleet.

There is no doubt that PLAN SSK is the most potent SSK in the world, considering the quantity and quality. Perhaps Japanese SSK has a bit of edge but PLAN SSK has significantly more in number

 

[Maikeru]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1659654052936818724

 

[by78]

Self-explanatory.