Details emerge on Chinese 'Type 032' submarine
Richard D Fisher Jr
Washington, DC
Data from a Chinese poster display has offered surprising insights into the country's latest conventional missile submarine (SSB), which was first seen at the Wuhan Shipyard in September 2010.
The mystery submarine was notable for a large sail and under-hull extension that were believed to be designed to enable China to test new submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
The recent image appears to confirm the submarine is a replacement for the long-serving Type 031, a former Soviet Project 629 'Golf'-class conventional missile submarine (SSB) built in China in the mid-1960s.
The boat is believed to be designated 'Type 032', with data indicating that development began in January 2005 and construction started in January 2008. It was launched on 10 September 2010. Information posted online suggests that testing was completed in September 2012 and the boat handed over to the PLA Navy on 12 October 2012.
According to the poster, the Type 032 has a surfaced displacement of 3,797 tonnes and a submerged displacement of 6,628 tonnes, which would make it the world's largest conventionally powered submarine. It is 92.6 m long, with a hull width of 10 m, 13 m width at the horizontal planes, a draft of 6.85 m and a height of 17.2 m. Reportedly built with a double hull, the boat's normal dive depth is 160 m and its claimed maximum dive depth is 200 m.
Submerged speed is 14 kt while surface speed is 10 kt. The submarine is claimed to have a crew of 88 with an endurance of 30 days but in testing has accommodated 130 people for five days and 200 for three days.
An accompanying image shows the Type 032 may carry at least two JL-2 size missiles, with what appear to be tubes for vertically launched anti-aircraft or cruise missiles in front of the sail, and provision for the deployment of a special forces swimming or unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) device aft the sail.
Torpedo tubes can be used to test new land attack cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles as well as torpedoes. This is also the first Chinese submarine to feature a large crew rescue pod built into the forward part of the sail.
ANALYSIS
As a test platform, the first Type 032 will be busy trialling future versions of the JL-2, new vertical launched cruise missiles and possibly fibre-optic guided missiles - the last two destined for new SSNs. However, it has not been lost on observers that the Type 032 has the potential to be developed for multiple modular mission payloads, especially if improved with air independent propulsion (AIP).
A strategic mission variant of the Type 032 could enable China to increase the survivability of its emerging sea-based nuclear deterrent by rapidly increasing the number of its nuclear missile-launching submarines at much less cost. Operating strategic SSBs in protected areas in the Yellow or South China Sea would allow a 7,000-8,000 km-range JL-2 SLBM to cover targets in Alaska or India respectively.
In addition, JL-2s could be replaced with a larger number of smaller medium-range land attack or anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), or even long-range cruise missiles to enable multi-azimuth strikes with conventional or nuclear missiles against large naval formations or land targets. The Type 032 also has the potential to carry over 50 special forces troops on short distance missions and could be configured to deploy multiple types of UUVs.
Copyright © IHS Global Limited, 2013
