In a possible setback to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), a newly-constructed nuclear-powered Chinese submarine sank pier side in March 2024. Until recently, China had kept the incident under wraps, but satellite images have finally uncovered the extent of the damage.
Some unknown US officials revealed the information to the Wall Street Journal. The officials stated that the attack submarine being built at the Wuchang shipyard near Wuhan was the inaugural vessel of the new Zhou-class series of warships. These submarines have a distinctive design and feature a unique X-shaped stern intended to enhance underwater mobility.
The claims are consistent with the satellite images from March 2024, which showed the submarine, recognizable by its X-shaped stern, docked at the port. However, the submarine was missing from the pier in satellite images obtained in June, which showed crane barges instead.
Naval expert and former US submariner Tom Shugart had drawn attention to an uncanny activity at the Wuchang Shipyard in June. Based on satellite imagery that he had obtained at the time, he pointed out the presence of crane barges at the shipyard, which indicated the possibility of an accident.
As part of a series of posts on social media site X (formerly Twitter), Shugart said: “I acquired an image from June 13th. In the image, there appear to be what looks like crane barges clustered around…something…near where the submarine was earlier. Also, the floating pier where the submarine was moored appears to have been offset a bit.”
More images of the Chinese Navy’s Newest Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine (Zhou-Class, Type 041), That Sank at a Shipyard in Wuhan
US officials are unsure if the sub contained nuclear fuel at the time of the sinking, but it's highly likely.
The submarine was eventually salvaged… pic.twitter.com/C0pfkTWdQD
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) September 27, 2024
Officials and experts believe that the incident was “covered up” by China since Beijing did not disclose any information about the accident. When probed, a spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, said: “We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide.”
“It’s not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pier-side,” a US official told the WSJ.
“In addition to the obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s internal accountability and oversight of China’s defense industry, which has long been plagued by corruption.”
The US officials went on to point out to WSJ that the submarine was undergoing its final fittings, and it was likely that it was carrying nuclear fuel when it capsized. The officials did not have any information on casualties, but experts have not dismissed the possibility of the crew losing lives. Moreover, the officials said there was no proof that Chinese authorities had examined the surrounding environment or water for radiation.
The incident has cast aspersions over the success of China’s sustained efforts to achieve naval parity with the US. China has, in fact, made expanding the number and capability of its submarine force the highest military priority. As per the 2023 China military report published by the Pentagon, the PLA Navy possesses 48 diesel-powered assault submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
Unlike the Chinese Navy, the entire US submarine force is nuclear-powered. The US Navy has 53 fast-attack submarines, 14 ballistic-missile submarines, and four guided-missile submarines. Despite China’s strides in shipbuilding and the breakneck speed at which it is constructing ships, it has yet to match the US submarine force.
The sinking of its latest Zhou-class nuclear submarine represents a setback to the PLAN. However, this is not the first instance where reports of an accident involving a Chinese submarine have sparked controversy and made headlines globally.
Did China’s Shang-Class Sub Meet An Accident In 2023?
In August 2023, rumors about a Chinese submarine crash that allegedly occurred during its passage through the Taiwan Strait began to circulate on social media. China and Taiwan dismissed these reports, the latter stating that there was no evidence to corroborate that a submarine had crashed in the strait.
In a news briefing, China’s Ministry of National Defense spokesperson, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, refuted the reports, saying, “Relevant information is completely false. We hope that internet users follow authoritative information released by China’s official accounts and do not be misled by ill-minded information.”
However, by October 2023, reports in the British media indicated that the nuclear-powered Type 093 Chinese submarine encountered a major catastrophe when it struck a “chain and anchor” trap meant to entice Western vessels hovering around the Chinese coast.
As the reports started to gain traction on social media, more claims emerged stating that the submarine had sunk in the ocean and that the crew had suffocated due to a “catastrophic failure” of the oxygen system.
Subsequent reports claimed that the Chinese submarine sank in the Yellow Sea, contrary to the earlier theory that the tragedy had happened in the Taiwan Strait.
None of the reports could be independently verified, and the issue died down.
However, it resurfaced in May this year when Taiwan National Security Bureau chief Tsai Ming-Yen acknowledged that an accident had occurred last year involving a PLA Navy Type-09III Shang-class SSN.
The admission was reportedly made when National Security Director Cai Mingyan and relevant ministries were invited by the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Commission of the Legislative Yuan to present a project report on the cross-strait situation following the Taiwan President’s inauguration.
PLA Submarine ‘Missing’, China’s Defense Minister Underground, Speculations On Mishap Reignites
In the aftermath of the incident, the experts contacted by the EurAsian Times anticipated that Beijing would try to conceal it. Meanwhile, the US government believed that China’s Defense Minister was under investigation and had been stripped of his responsibilities.
The defense minister’s unexplained disappearance indicated brewing turmoil in the upper ranks of China’s ruling Communist Party.
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