Satellite images from China show cranes during rescue operations at the port. According to US government sources, a nuclear-powered submarine sank there in the summer. This would be a setback for China’s weapons programs.
A latest-generation nuclear-powered submarine sank in China over the summer, according to US government sources. The submarine sank off a port near Wuhan in May or June, a senior US Defense Department official said. It is not clear what caused this and whether it contained nuclear fuel.
The incident raises many questions about the quality of the equipment, the accountability of the Chinese military and the oversight of the corruption-plagued sector. No wonder the Navy tried to cover up such a sinking.
Still under construction
was first The Wall Street Journal reported the incident. The submarine – still under construction – was spotted in late May on satellite images of a pier in the Yangtze River. In late June, Planet Labs BBC images of floating cranes retrieving parts from the riverbank.
US sources said the submarine was the first of a new class of nuclear-powered submarines and was clearly identifiable in satellite images due to its characteristic stern shape. Another submarine was in the same location on August 25. It is unclear whether it is the same.
Chinese officials have yet to comment on the incident. Spokesmen for the State Department and the Chinese Embassy in Washington said only that they had no knowledge of the alleged incident.
World’s largest navy
The incident is a bitter setback for the People’s Republic, which has made expanding its armed forces and submarines one of its top priorities, the Wall Street Journal reported. The submarine was recovered, but it would be months before it could depart.
China has the world’s largest navy with more than 370 warships and one of the largest military budgets, according to estimates by the US Department of Defense. According to this, China will have six ballistic missile submarines and six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines by 2022. The US expects this fleet to grow to 65 submarines by 2025 and 80 by 2035.
Contradictions in South China Also
Washington is watching China’s naval buildup with concern. Beijing is determined to assert its claim across the South China Sea, which is increasingly important to international trade. China is therefore engaged in long-standing territorial disputes with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States continues to send ships through the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation there.
On Wednesday, China announced that it had successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. This raised international concerns about the country’s nuclear arsenal.
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