Emerging as a new development following the unusual activity reported last July at the Wuchang shipyard, where the future Type 041 nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Chinese Navy was observed, U.S. experts have stated this week that the submarine has reportedly sunk in port. This news would imply a significant setback for one of the Asian Giant’s priority programs, considering that the submarine was already receiving the final equipment necessary for its upcoming sea trials.
This information comes from an article published in The Wall Street Journal, which claims that the Chinese government has made significant efforts to conceal the incident while it is in the midst of strengthening its Navy and its coercive rhetoric towards Taiwan. In addition to the negative political image resulting from such an event, sources consulted by the publication highlight that it is highly likely the vessel was already loaded with nuclear material, raising concerns that the sinking could lead to a considerable environmental problem for the area, despite it not appearing to be a priority for Chinese authorities.
Citing some of their statements: “U.S. officials have detected no indication that Chinese officials have taken samples of the water or the nearby environment to check for radiation (…) It is possible that Chinese personnel were killed or injured when the submarine sank, but U.S. officials say they do not know if there were any casualties.”
In summary, quoting a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity: “It is not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to cover up the fact that its new nuclear-powered attack submarine, the first of its class, sank at the dock (…) 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.”
It is worth recalling at this point, building on the mention of the unusual activity detected in June and reinforcing the possibility raised by the U.S. publication, that satellite images were released showing a small fleet of four crane-equipped ships at the exact site where the Type 041 submarine had previously been seen. According to the specialized outlet The War Zone, this activity took place between June 12 and 17, with normal operations resuming at the port in early July; the submarine has not been seen again since.
For now, the assumptions of the consulted experts seem to suggest that the Chinese submarine may have been recovered thanks to the aforementioned cranes. However, assuming that its sinking was not partial, the delays caused by water entering various compartments would take months, as a complete replacement of all the vessel’s electrical equipment would need to be carried out.
Finally, despite these issues and doubts regarding the quality of the submarines being manufactured, it should be noted that China State Shipbuilding Corp. appears to have begun construction of a new SSN at the same Wuchang shipyard, aiming to ensure that the accident does not lead to a significant setback in China’s plans to enhance its naval power. It is useful to highlight that the mentioned shipyards already have an important history of producing Type 039 submarines and a wide range of other warships, in addition to participating in the manufacturing process of new electromagnetic rail weapons for the Chinese Navy, positioning themselves as a key link in the planned trajectory.
Image credits: The Wall Street Journal.
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