Han class submarine
Encyclopedia
The 4,500/5,500-ton Type 091 (US Department of Defense
designation Han-class, Chinese designation 09-I) was the first nuclear-powered submarine
(SSN) class deployed by the People's Liberation Army Navy
. The first Chief Designer of the submarine was an engineer and scientist of nuclear propulsion engineering
Mr. Peng Shilu (彭士禄 ), then in 1983 succeeded by Mr. Huang Xuhua (黄旭华). The first submarine in the class was commissioned in 1974 and the fifth and final boat of the class was commissioned in 1990. The Han-Class is the among the first generation of nuclear-powered submarines in the People's Liberation Army Navy
.
The Han-Class were developed with a backdrop of factional violence and in accordance with hunts for enemy agents. The Han-Class is well known for having a noisy reactor and poor radiation shielding. This causes health hazards for her crew as nuclear radiation levels are higher than they should be aboard the submarine. The submarine is also inhibited by an inability to launch missiles while submerged. This creates a tactical disadvantage against opponents that have well-developed anti-submarine warfare systems.
The Han-class have gone through major upgrades and numerous refits since their commissionings. Their initial design and weapons appear to be inadequate for confronting modern warships.It is believed that long refits have often meant that these submarines have spent more time in port than out at sea, greatly affecting their operational capacity. The boats have six 533 mm torpedo
tubes and carry 20 torpedoes. Alternatively, they can carry 36 mines in their tubes. The Han class is capable of firing sub-launched variants of the C-801 anti-ship missile as well as a range of indigenous and Russian torpedoes or mines.
Hull 401 (and possibly 402 as well in the near future) had been retired from active service by 2005. All remaining hulls however have been refitted with new sonars, with Type H/SQ2-262B sonar manufactured by No. 613 Factory replacing the original Type 603 sonar on board. Anechoic tiles were added later reduce noise levels. India
's short term lease of a Charlie 1 Class
SSGN
in 1988 resulted in negotiations with Pakistan
for a lease of a Han. Pakistan's request for one was withdrawn when India returned the Charlie 1 in 1991.
The Han has mostly operated in local waters. Since the 1990s, Hans have been used more aggressively. A Han shadowed a U.S. carrier battle group
in the mid 1990s. In November 2004, a Han made an incursion into Japanese territorial waters and prompted Japan's maritime forces to go on alert for only the second time since the end of World War II
. The incursion was through the Ishigaki, Okinawa
island group, a lightly populated group of islands very near Taiwan. China later apologized for the incursion saying for "technical reasons," it ventured into Japanese waters.
All 5 boats (Changzheng 1 to 5; # 401 to 405) of this class were deployed with the North Sea Fleet
and are homeported at Qingdao
.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
designation Han-class, Chinese designation 09-I) was the first nuclear-powered submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
(SSN) class deployed by the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
. The first Chief Designer of the submarine was an engineer and scientist of nuclear propulsion engineering
Nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that fulfil the promise of the Atomic Age by using some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source.- Surface ships and submarines :...
Mr. Peng Shilu (
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
.
The Han-Class were developed with a backdrop of factional violence and in accordance with hunts for enemy agents. The Han-Class is well known for having a noisy reactor and poor radiation shielding. This causes health hazards for her crew as nuclear radiation levels are higher than they should be aboard the submarine. The submarine is also inhibited by an inability to launch missiles while submerged. This creates a tactical disadvantage against opponents that have well-developed anti-submarine warfare systems.
The Han-class have gone through major upgrades and numerous refits since their commissionings. Their initial design and weapons appear to be inadequate for confronting modern warships.It is believed that long refits have often meant that these submarines have spent more time in port than out at sea, greatly affecting their operational capacity. The boats have six 533 mm torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes and carry 20 torpedoes. Alternatively, they can carry 36 mines in their tubes. The Han class is capable of firing sub-launched variants of the C-801 anti-ship missile as well as a range of indigenous and Russian torpedoes or mines.
Hull 401 (and possibly 402 as well in the near future) had been retired from active service by 2005. All remaining hulls however have been refitted with new sonars, with Type H/SQ2-262B sonar manufactured by No. 613 Factory replacing the original Type 603 sonar on board. Anechoic tiles were added later reduce noise levels. India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's short term lease of a Charlie 1 Class
Charlie class submarine
The Charlie class submarine is a nuclear powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy.-Background:...
SSGN
SSGN
A cruise missile submarine is a submarine that can launch guided missiles. SSGN is the United States Navy hull classification symbol for a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine. The SS denotes "Ship, Submersible" , the G denotes "guided missile," and the N denotes "nuclear powered"....
in 1988 resulted in negotiations with Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
for a lease of a Han. Pakistan's request for one was withdrawn when India returned the Charlie 1 in 1991.
The Han has mostly operated in local waters. Since the 1990s, Hans have been used more aggressively. A Han shadowed a U.S. carrier battle group
Carrier battle group
A carrier battle group consists of an aircraft carrier and its escorts, together composing the group. The first naval task forces built around carriers appeared just prior to and during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy was the first to assemble a large number of carriers into a single...
in the mid 1990s. In November 2004, a Han made an incursion into Japanese territorial waters and prompted Japan's maritime forces to go on alert for only the second time since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The incursion was through the Ishigaki, Okinawa
Ishigaki, Okinawa
Ishigaki is an island west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago...
island group, a lightly populated group of islands very near Taiwan. China later apologized for the incursion saying for "technical reasons," it ventured into Japanese waters.
All 5 boats (Changzheng 1 to 5; # 401 to 405) of this class were deployed with the North Sea Fleet
North Sea Fleet
The North Sea Fleet is one of three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy.It includes nuclear powered submarines: five Han class attack submarines and China's single Xia class ballistic missile submarine, all based at Qingdao....
and are homeported at Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
.
| Boat | Launch | Compl. | De-Comm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | 1970 | 1974 | ? 2000 |
| 402 | 1977 | 1980 | ? 2004 |
| 403 | 1983 | 1984 | |
| 404 | 1987 | 1988 | |
| 405 | 1990 | 1991 |