Type 094 submarine
Encyclopedia
The Type 094 (NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...

: Jin-class; ) is a new class of ballistic missile submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...

 developed by the Chinese 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-of-class was constructed at Huludao Shipyard in Huludao
Huludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...

, Liaoning Province and launched in July 2004. At least two are confirmed to have been launched.

Description

The Type 094 submarine is capable of carrying 12 of the more modern JL-2
JL-2
The JL-2 is a Chinese second-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile which has a two-stage, solid–liquid-fuelled propulsion design. Accurate specifications of the new missile are hard to obtain and substantiate due to the secretive nature of the program...

s with a range of approximately 8,000 km, and is capable of targeting some of the Western Hemisphere from close to the Chinese coast. The Type 094 is believed by some western analysts to incorporate a great deal of Russian technology and will replace the Type 092 submarine (NATO reporting name: Xia class) for the People's Liberation Army Navy.

In its 2008 assessment of China's military, the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 estimated that one Type 094 "may soon enter service", and that "up to five" would be in service by 2010. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 government has expressed concern over these submarines, saying that the Chinese government has not been transparent enough about the program.

2011 Accident

In early August 2011 social media in China reported a radiation leak
2011 Type 094 accident
A Type 094 nuclear submarine belonging to China is thought to have suffered a radiation leak in July 2011. Media coverage of the event has been banned, leading to international concern over the handling of the crisis...

 on board a Type 094 submarine, docked in Dalian
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...

. According to reports, China Era Electronics Corporation was installing an electronic system when the leak occurred.

Satellite photos

In late 2006, a commercial satellite photographed what is believed to be the new Jin-class submarine moored in Xiaopingdao Submarine Base. In comparison with the older Type 092-class submarine, it has been elongated from 122m to 133m in order to house the missile tubes and part of the reactor.

A Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...

 picture from May 2007 has been discovered that appears to show two more Jin Class submarines docked at the Bohai shipyard at Huludao. It is not clear whether one of these is the vessel that was first spotted at Xiaopingdao in 2006 or whether these are two additional vessels, bringing the total to 3 vessels. The pictured subs appear to have 12 missile tubes.
Jin class submarine at Huludao
Huludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...

, China.

Books

  • Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, William S. Murray: China's Future Nuclear Submarine Force, Naval Institute Press , 2007, ISBN 1591143268

External links

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