China’s newest nuclear-powered submarine sank earlier this year, and the Chinese Navy attempted to conceal the incident. The event has raised significant questions regarding the People’s Liberation Army’s internal processes and transparency.
- The submarine, part of the new Zhou-class line, was docked near Wuhan and sank in the spring.
- Satellite imagery confirmed the submarine’s absence from its dock in June after it was previously seen in March.
- The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s modernisation efforts are underscored by this incident, highlighting challenges in their defence industry.
- US defence officials and experts closely monitored the situation through satellite images from Maxar Technologies.
China’s latest nuclear-powered submarine, a Zhou-class vessel, sank at its pier in the spring. The Chinese Navy endeavoured to conceal the situation, according to two US defence officials.
This submarine was the inaugural vessel in the Zhou-class series, constructed at a shipyard near Wuhan. The Zhou-class is distinguished by its X-shaped stern, which enhances underwater manoeuvrability. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies captured the submarine at the port on 10th March.
Further satellite analysis by Maxar in June showed the submarine was no longer at the pier. ‘It is not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pierside,’ remarked a senior US defence official.
Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Centre for a New American Security, first noticed unusual activity at the shipyard. Historical imagery showed an atypical concentration of cranes, suggesting significant activity. Shugart identified the submarine’s larger size and distinctive tail, marking it as a new class. ‘Usually, those submarines, after they get launched, they’re there at the shipyard for several months in outfitting. And it wasn’t there anymore,’ he noted.
China’s efforts to modernise its naval forces, including the PLA Navy, are evident in its new submarines. The 2023 China military power report notes that the PLA Navy operates a mix of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, nuclear-powered attack submarines, and diesel-powered attack submarines. In comparison, the entire US submarine fleet is nuclear-powered.
The fate of the sunken submarine, whether it had nuclear fuel loaded or not, remains unclear. A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, DC, stated: ‘We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide.’ The Wall Street Journal initially reported the submarine’s sinking.
China aims to extend its submarine construction capabilities despite retiring older vessels. Projections by the Congressional Research Service indicate that China will possess 65 submarines by 2025 and 80 by 2035. The PLA Navy currently has 370 platforms, including 234 warships, surpassing the US Navy’s 219 warships. However, the US regards China as its long-term ‘pacing challenge.’
A senior US defence official criticised the incident, saying, ‘The incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s internal accountability and oversight of China’s defence industry—which has long been plagued by corruption.’
The sinking of China’s newest nuclear-powered submarine pierside raises profound concerns about the PLA Navy’s transparency and internal oversight.
