Type 093 submarine

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Profile of the Type 093
Class overview
NameType 093
BuildersBohai Shipyard, Huludao[3]
Operators People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded byType 091
Succeeded byType 095
In commission2006–present
Building1[4]
Completed6[1][2]
Active6[1][2]
General characteristics
TypeNuclear-powered attack submarine
Displacement
Type 093/A
6,675 tons (submerged)[5]
Type 093B
6,700 tons (submerged)[5]
Length
Type 093/A
108.5 m (356 ft 0 in)[5]
Type 093B
110 m (360 ft 11 in)[5]
Beam11 m (36 ft 1 in)[5]
Draft7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)[3]
Propulsion2 x 70-75 megawatt[5] pressurized water nuclear reactors[3]
Speed
Type 093
28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)[5]
Type 093A/B
30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)[5]
RangeUnlimited
Complement100[3]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Type 359 radar[3]
  • Hull-mounted sonar[3]
  • Flank array sonar[3]
  • Passive intercept array sonar[3]
  • Towed array sonar (later variant)[6]
Armament

The Type 093 submarine (NATO reporting name: Shang class) is a class of nuclear-powered attack submarines constructed by the People's Republic of China for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).[3]

Development[edit]

The first-generation of Chinese nuclear submarines, the Type 091 attack and the Type 092 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), were costly for their limited capability. There was little political support for further development after the Cultural Revolution; they were not a priority in Deng Xiaoping's Four Modernizations. Research on design and foreign developments continued throughout the 1980s, with a new reactor design in development by 1987. Support for new nuclear submarines emerged in 1994 under Jiang Zemin[7] after the 1993 Yinhe incident[8] and continued tensions with Taiwan.[9] Reportedly, Russian experts contributed to the Type 093's design.[3] The first boat was laid down in 1994 and commissioned in 2006.[3] The first two boats had unsatisfactory speed and noise.[1] Further boats were delayed to free yard capacity for the Type 094 SSBN.[2]

The four Type 093A boats, commissioned from 2015-2018, introduced longer streamlined sails for greater speed. The first two Type 093As were also relatively quieter by incorporating acoustic dampening technology developed from Kilo-class submarines purchased from Russia.[10] The last two Type 093As may have been further improved by using acoustic dampening mounts derived from later Russian technology, possibly making them China's "first quiet submarine."[11]

The first Type 093B emerged from the building hall in January 2023 with pump-jet propulsion.[4]

Alleged accident in August 2023[edit]

On 21 August 2023, Lude Media, an anti-Chinese Communist Party social media organization run by Wang Dinggang, reported that a Type 093 had been lost with its entire crew around the Taiwan Strait.[12][13][14] The report was unsubstantiated. On August 22, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported its intelligence and surveillance had not detected an incident.[14] China denied the report on August 31.[15] Open-source analyst H.I. Sutton, who had repeated the report on X, issued a retraction on August 22.[16]

The allegation was revived on 3 October 2023 by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, which cited "a secret UK report"; it reported that submarine "093-417" collided with an anti-submarine net in the Yellow Sea, the atmosphere control equipment was damaged, six hours of repairs were required to surface, and 55 crew were killed by hypoxia. The report was repeated by The Times. On October 5, Taiwan-based UP Media, citing anonymous Chinese sources, reported that the accident was caused by an onboard Yu-3 torpedo explosion. Analysts were skeptical. Thomas Shugart, a retired submariner and analyst for the Center for a New American Security, said "I've never heard of submarine nets being used on the high seas, and I don't understand why snagging one would cause a failure of atmosphere control equipment" and that "(s)ix hours is not enough to result in hypoxia without something else consuming the oxygen first, like a fire or explosion." Chris Carlson, a retired submariner and US naval intelligence analyst said "(t)he problem is the vast majority of the reporting (...) is from Taiwanese sources that have some credibility issues" and that the details required verification.[12]

Variants[edit]

Type 093[edit]

Two Type 093s were built, with the NATO reporting name Shang I.[5]

The boat uses a similar teardrop hull as the Type 091, and also has the same pressure hull width of 9 meters.[17] Acoustic dampening likely uses a Chinese compound isolation system, similar to those used by European conventional submarines. The Type 093 had a noise level similar to the Soviet Project 671 (NATO reporting name Victor I) which entered service in the late-1960s.[18]

In 2013 to 2015, one boat's sail was streamlined with a small cusp or fillet at the bottom of leading edge and a slight round down at the top of the sail, estimated to reduce drag by 15-30%.[19]

Type 093A[edit]

Four Type 093As were built, with the NATO reporting name Shang II.[5]

These boats have a streamlined sail lengthened by 2.5 meters to reach the Type 093's design speed of 30 knots, a stern towed array sonar deployment tube, and a hump behind the sail; the hump is likely for the towed array handling gear and is not a vertical launching system (VLS). The hump was box-like on the first boat, tall and streamlined on the second, and low and streamlined on the third and fourth.[2]

The Type 093As were some of the first Chinese submarines to incorporate acoustic dampening technology imported from Russia starting in the 1990s. China imported Kilo submarines in the 1990s, with Project 877EKM including anechoic tiles, and Project 636 including pneumatic isolation mounts; Chinese derivatives of these components were installed on the first two Type 093As giving them a noise level similar to the Soviet Project 671RT (NATO reporting name Victor II) which entered service in the early 1970s.[10]

China may have acquired components or data in the early-2000s for the later-generation APRKu pneumatic isolation mounts used by Russian third and fourth generation submarines, and used it to develop the JYQN mount which was patented in 2012. The last two Type 093As may have received JYQN mounts, possibly giving the boats noise levels like early Project 671RTM (NATO reporting name Victor III) which entered service in the late-1970s.[20]

Type 093B[edit]

One Type 093B is under construction,[4] with the NATO reporting name Shang III.[5]

The boat has a pump-jet propulsor that slightly increases overall length. The United States classifies it as a cruise-missile submarine but it likely does not have a VLS.[4] Chinese proficiency in precision manufacturing since 2012-2013 may result in a noise levels like the Soviet Project 945 (NATO reporting name Sierra I) that lauched in 1983.[5]

Ships of class[edit]

Pennant
number		 Name Builder Laid
Down		 Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
Type 093
407[3] Changzheng
7 		Bohai Shipyard[3] 1994 [21] 24 December 2002 [3] December 2006 [3] North Sea Fleet[3] Active [22]
408[3] Changzheng
8 		Bohai Shipyard [3] 2000 [21] December 2003 [3] June 2007 [3] North Sea Fleet [3] Active [22]
Type 093A
409[3] Changzheng
9 		Bohai Shipyard [3] 2012 [3] 2015 [21] Active[22]
410[3] Changzheng
10 		Bohai Shipyard [3] 2013 [3] 2016 [21] Active[22]
418 Changzheng
18 		Bohai Shipyard [3] 2017 [21] Active[22]
419 Changzheng
19 		Bohai Shipyard [3] 2018 [21] Active[22]
Type 093B
Bohai Shipyard 2023[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Carlson & Wang 2023, p. 9.
  2. ^ a b c d Carlson & Wang 2023, p. 12.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. p. 129. ISBN 978-0710631435.
  4. ^ a b c d e Carlson & Wang 2023, p. 16.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Carlson & Wang 2023, p. 17.
  6. ^ "Shang-Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines, China". Naval Technology.
  7. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 6–7.
  8. ^ Erickson & Goldstein 2007, p. 58.
  9. ^ Erickson & Goldstein 2007, p. 64-65.
  10. ^ a b Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 12–14.
  11. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 14–16.
  12. ^ a b Firn, Mike; Chan, Elaine (2023-10-09). "Did the Chinese submarine accident happen?". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  13. ^ Sutton, H. I. [@covertshores] (August 21, 2023). "Reports suggest all crew died. If so, RIP. However, again, caution that currently no evidence. And some reporting is less credible. But important to listen for more. More info on this class of submarine [http://www.hisutton.com/Chinese-Navy-Type-093-Shang-Class-Submarine.html]" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ a b "Chinese submarine crash rumor unsubstantiated: MND". Taipei Times. 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  15. ^ Qian, Wu (2023-08-31). "Rumors about a Chinese nuclear submarine accident completely false: Defense Spokesperson". Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  16. ^ Sutton, H. I. [@covertshores] (August 22, 2023). "**UPDATE** I deleted the post re reported missing #Chinese submarine. So far not seen any convincing evidence to support rumors, and too much weight is being placed on my posts (despite my caveats) Treat topic with caution ⚠️ Awaiting credible info #OSINT" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, p. 11.
  18. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 11–12.
  19. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 9–10.
  20. ^ Carlson & Wang 2023, pp. 14–15.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 133
  22. ^ a b c d e f The International Institute for Strategic Studies (2022). The Military Balance 2022. Routledge. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-032-27900-8.

Sources[edit]

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