Title: Yuan SSK
mk4ever2025 - November 12, 2004 10:36 PM (GMT)
Yuan Class Diesel-Electric Submarine
China�s Wuhan Shipyard has recently (May 2004?) launched a new generation conventional diesel-electric submarine (SSK), which is named Yuan class by the U.S. intelligence. It is estimated that the programme might have begun in 2002, with first boat laid down at Wuhan Shipyard in later 2003 or early 2004. Photos of this submarine were first seen on Internet in July 2004, and soon Washington Times reported the existence of the submarine programme. The detailed information on this submarine is still unknown, but some resources suggested that the new submarine may be comparable to the improved variant of the Russian Kilo class (Project 636) in term of size and general performance.
Yuan class
At least one boat is confirmed to be under construction at Wuhan Shipyard, China�s primary manufacturer of conventional diesel-electric submarines. In the past the same shipyard also built the Type 039/A (Song class), Type 035 (Ming class), Type 033G (Wuhan-A class) and Type 033 (Romeo class) diesel-electric submarines for the PLA Navy. From the photos of the submarine it can be seen that Yuan class may have been based on, and derived from China�s indigenous Type 039/A (Song class) and the Russian Kilo class SSK. Other reports indicated that the boat may be fitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) system but this cannot be confirmed.
Yuan class has a tail with diving planes similar to those of the Type 039A, and a Kilo-style teardrop shaped hull with a raised hump on top, which suggests that the submarine may be as quiet as Kilo class. Apart from indigenously developed submarine weapon systems such as indigenous active/passive-homing torpedo and the YJ-8 (C-801) submarine-launched anti-ship missile, Yuan class may also be capable of launching the latest Russian weapons (or their Chinese copies) such as the TEST-71MKE wire-guided torpedo, the 53-65KE wave-homing torpedo, and even 3M-54E Club supersonic submarine-launched anti-ship missile.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that Shaanxi Diesel Manufactory is currently building the German MTU 16V-396 diesel under license. The same diesel is used to power the German Type 212 diesel-electric submarine. The electronic systems onboard Yuan class may include CCD camera, infrared/thermal image camera, laser range-finder, surface-search radar and radar warning receiver. Various weapon systems and sensors are integrated by a digitised combat data command and control system.
China�s Wuhan Shipyard has recently (May 2004?) launched a new generation conventional diesel-electric submarine (SSK), which is named Yuan class by the U.S. intelligence. It is estimated that the programme might have begun in 2002, with first boat laid down at Wuhan Shipyard in later 2003 or early 2004. Photos of this submarine were first seen on Internet in July 2004, and soon Washington Times reported the existence of the submarine programme. The detailed information on this submarine is still unknown, but some resources suggested that the new submarine may be comparable to the improved variant of the Russian Kilo class (Project 636) in term of size and general performance.
Yuan class
At least one boat is confirmed to be under construction at Wuhan Shipyard, China�s primary manufacturer of conventional diesel-electric submarines. In the past the same shipyard also built the Type 039/A (Song class), Type 035 (Ming class), Type 033G (Wuhan-A class) and Type 033 (Romeo class) diesel-electric submarines for the PLA Navy. From the photos of the submarine it can be seen that Yuan class may have been based on, and derived from China�s indigenous Type 039/A (Song class) and the Russian Kilo class SSK. Other reports indicated that the boat may be fitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) system but this cannot be confirmed.
Yuan class has a tail with diving planes similar to those of the Type 039A, and a Kilo-style teardrop shaped hull with a raised hump on top, which suggests that the submarine may be as quiet as Kilo class. Apart from indigenously developed submarine weapon systems such as indigenous active/passive-homing torpedo and the YJ-8 (C-801) submarine-launched anti-ship missile, Yuan class may also be capable of launching the latest Russian weapons (or their Chinese copies) such as the TEST-71MKE wire-guided torpedo, the 53-65KE wave-homing torpedo, and even 3M-54E Club supersonic submarine-launched anti-ship missile.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that Shaanxi Diesel Manufactory is currently building the German MTU 16V-396 diesel under license. The same diesel is used to power the German Type 212 diesel-electric submarine. The electronic systems onboard Yuan class may include CCD camera, infrared/thermal image camera, laser range-finder, surface-search radar and radar warning receiver. Various weapon systems and sensors are integrated by a digitised combat data command and control system.
mk4ever2025 - November 12, 2004 10:39 PM (GMT)
Yuan SSK:
CoffeeDrinker - November 23, 2004 10:50 AM (GMT)
Yuan SSK 040
