Along with the rapid building of invasion barges at Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China, a submarine has entered the scene. The shipyard is not known for submarine construction but the presence of the boat is revealed in satellite imagery.
The new boat was noticed in a floating dock by defence watcher MT Anderson. Naval News is able to confirm that this is a new and previously unreported design.
China has, once again, surprised analysts by building a submarine in secret. Western submarines are reported in media years before they are even laid down. While there are always secrets surrounding their design and capabilities, their exitance cannot be kept secret. China however has a track record of building submarines in almost complete secrecy. This isn’t the first, and Naval News is often the first place you can read about these submarines. They typically do not feature in the official submarine force estimates shared by the U.S. Government.
The New Submarine
The submarine is distinct from the recently revealed Type-041 nuclear-battery design which was launched at Wuchang Shipyard near Wuhan. This design is smaller and likely has a different propulsion type (not nuclear assisted), and mission. It is also different from the ‘Olympic’ submarine revealed by Naval News in February 2022.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the new submarine is around 45 meters (148 feet) long and 5 meters (15 feet) across. The most notable features are the large X-form rudders at the stern, and the apparent absence of a sail. Sails are a standard feature but designers have sought ways to eliminate them to create a more streamlined boat. China is so far the only country to have built a sailless submarine, with one launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai in 2019.
The previous sailless submarine appears to have been purely experimental. It did not appear to have any torpedo tubes or sonar, required features for a warfighting boat. At first glance it appears conceivable that the new sailless submarine is a rebuild of the first. They are similar in size and form. The original boat is accounted for however, so we are confident that this latest boat is a newbuild design.
The X-form rudders are also novel for Chinese submarines although they are becoming increasingly common and reflect a wider trend in submarine design.
World’s Largest Uncrewed Submarine?
The new boat has the outward appearance of an uncrewed vessel. We expect these types to omit the sail, since there is no crew to need an access tower high above the waterline for use at sea. China, and indeed other leading navies, have active programs to build extra-large uncrewed submarines. And China’s program is the largest and most extensive with at least 5 types in the water.
But if this is the case, and it is an XLUUV (extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle), then it is the largest in the world. And not by a small margin; it is around 6-8 times larger than the U.S. Navy’s Orca XLUUV.
That China has built the world’s largest XLUUV is not inconceivable. It has already built thelargest combat uncrewed surface vessel (USV) and seems willing to push boundaries. But if so, the question becomes why it is so large. There is no need for crew accommodation so even the largest XLUUVs need not be the same size as a traditional submarine. So it seems more likely that this is a crewed boat.
The role of the new submarine remains unclear. It is smaller than regular diesel-electric submarines, but may be particularly suitable for operations in shallow water. At the same time, it does appear to have torpedo tubes, and possibly a towed sonar array. These features suggest that it could be used to attack ships or submarines. An alternative explanation is that it is designed for special forces missions, or seabed warfare. Time may tell.
