China has new sub

[DKSuddeth]

no surprise that US intelligence didn't pick up on it til it was already out to sea.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040716-123134-8152r.htm

China's naval buildup has produced a new type of attack submarine that U.S. intelligence did not know was under construction, according to U.S. defense and intelligence officials.

The new boat, which appears to be a combination of indigenous Chinese hardware and Russian weapons, suggests that China is building up its submarine forces in preparation for a conflict over Taiwan, defense analysts say.
"China has decided submarines are its first-line warships now, their best shot at beating carriers," said Sid Trevethan, an Alaska-based specialist on the Chinese military. "And China is right."
"One has to marvel at the enormity of the investment by the People's Liberation Army in submarines," said Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military.
China also is building two nuclear-powered submarines — one Type 093, believed to be based on the Russian Victor-III class and armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles, and a Type 094 attack submarine, which the Pentagon believes has a finished hull and will be ready for deployment next year.
According to Mr. Trevethan, China currently has a force of 57 deployed submarines, including one Xia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine, five Han submarines, four Kilos, seven Songs, 18 Mings and 22 Soviet-designed Romeos. Beijing also has eight more Kilos on order with Russia.

 

[NightTrain]

It's nice to see that the Russians are behaving so responsibly with high-tech weaponry to aggressive nations. The Russians really know their shit with Subs, it was their premier naval unit of choice & spent billions in R&D.

But a non-nuclear sub...? Why are they even bothering with WWII technology? The USN will have no problems forcing it to surface. Diesel subs can't stay submerged indefinitely like a nuke sub can.

 

[Bullypulpit]

It's nice to see that the Russians are behaving so responsibly with high-tech weaponry to aggressive nations. The Russians really know their shit with Subs, it was their premier naval unit of choice & spent billions in R&D.

But a non-nuclear sub...? Why are they even bothering with WWII technology? The USN will have no problems forcing it to surface. Diesel subs can't stay submerged indefinitely like a nuke sub can.

Granted, diesel boats can't remain submerged as long as nukes, with scubbers they can remain submerged far longer than their WWII counterparts, and the run much...much...quieter than an equivalent class nuke boat.

 

[nycflasher]

no surprise that US intelligence didn't pick up on it til it was already out to sea.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040716-123134-8152r.htm

China's naval buildup has produced a new type of attack submarine that U.S. intelligence did not know was under construction, according to U.S. defense and intelligence officials.

The new boat, which appears to be a combination of indigenous Chinese hardware and Russian weapons, suggests that China is building up its submarine forces in preparation for a conflict over Taiwan, defense analysts say.
"China has decided submarines are its first-line warships now, their best shot at beating carriers," said Sid Trevethan, an Alaska-based specialist on the Chinese military. "And China is right."
"One has to marvel at the enormity of the investment by the People's Liberation Army in submarines," said Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military.
China also is building two nuclear-powered submarines — one Type 093, believed to be based on the Russian Victor-III class and armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles, and a Type 094 attack submarine, which the Pentagon believes has a finished hull and will be ready for deployment next year.
According to Mr. Trevethan, China currently has a force of 57 deployed submarines, including one Xia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine, five Han submarines, four Kilos, seven Songs, 18 Mings and 22 Soviet-designed Romeos. Beijing also has eight more Kilos on order with Russia.

ruh-roh...

 

[NightTrain]

Scrubbers help, but you still have to surface eventually to replentish the batteries and O2.

Diesel boats are quieter than a nuke boat? Hmm... our hunter/killer subs are the quietest in the world. I've never heard that running electric would be quieter than the nuke sub that was rigged for silent running.

Regardless, our detection systems are without peer & we routinely were able to track the Russians, and they were world class sailors.

If the Chinese are really interested in subs and are buying them from the Russians, it goes without saying that they're also being trained by the best submariners Russia has to offer, so I'd expect they'll be up to speed in short order. But they are many years behind us in technology to go along with those new toys.

 

[Merlin1047]

Granted, diesel boats can't remain submerged as long as nukes, with scubbers they can remain submerged far longer than their WWII counterparts, and the run much...much...quieter than an equivalent class nuke boat.

Don't see how you arrived at the quieter than nuclear conclusion. The reactor in a nuclear sub makes no noise at all. It heats the water that drives a turbine which generates the electricity which drives the sub's electric engines. The turbine in also very quiet. The only difference in a diesel sub is that when it runs electric, the power is supplied by batteries.