Type 39B submarine.039B“元级”潜艇

February 5, 2010: Recently, the Taiwanese Navy detected an unidentified submarine outside one of its major naval bases. Ships and helicopters pursued the contact, but the suspected submarine left the area. A Chinese boat was suspected, mainly because for the last decade, Chinese subs have increasingly been showing up close to Japan and South Korea as well.

2010年2月5日：最近，中国台湾地区海军在其一个主要的海军基地外面发现了一艘未明潜艇。舰艇和直升飞机试图捕获联络，但是可疑潜艇离开了区域。猜测是一艘中国潜艇，主要地因为最近十年，中国潜艇日益在接近日本和韩国等海域出现。

Two years ago, Japan increased anti-submarine patrols in international waters, just outside Japanese territorial waters. Chinese submarines were apparently exercising there more frequently, looking for Japanese, South Korean and American warships to play tag with. The U.S. has also redirected more of its space based naval search capabilities to assist the Japanese.

在二年以前，日本增加国际公海反潜巡逻，但仅仅在日本领海外围。中国潜艇正显然经常在那里训练，找寻日本、韩国和美国军舰去尾随演练。美国也已经重新使用更多的天基海上搜索能力去协助日本。

Chinese Song class diesel electric and Han class nuclear powered boats have been detected and tracked with increasing frequency over the last few years. In that time, one of each of these was spotted stalking the American carrier USS George Washington, as it headed to South Korea for a visit.

中国宋级柴电潜艇和汉级核潜艇在最近几年已经越来越多的被发现和追踪。有一次，它们其中一艘可疑地潜近美国华盛顿号航空母舰（USS George Washington），当时华盛顿号去前往韩国。

China is rapidly acquiring advanced submarine building capabilities, and providing money (for fuel and spare parts) to send its subs to sea more often. Moreover, new classes of boats are constantly appearing. The new Type 39A, or Yuan class, looks just like the Russian Kilo class. In the late 1990s, the Chinese began ordering Russian Kilo class subs, then one of the latest diesel-electric design available. Russia was selling new Kilos for about $200 million each, which is about half the price other Western nations sell similar boats for. The Kilos weigh 2,300 tons (surface displacement), have six torpedo tubes and a crew of 57. They are quiet, and can travel about 700 kilometers under water at a quiet speed of about five kilometers an hour. Kilos carry 18 torpedoes or SS-N-27 anti-ship missiles (with a range of 300 kilometers and launched underwater from the torpedo tubes.) The combination of quietness and cruise missiles makes Kilo very dangerous to American carriers. North Korea and Iran have also bought Kilos.

中国正在迅速地获得先进潜艇建造能力，在经费（用于燃料和备件）允许条件下更频繁派遣它的潜艇到海上。而且，新级别的潜艇正在不断地出现。新39A型或元级，看起来很像俄国基洛级。在1990年后期，中国开始订购俄国基洛级潜艇，当时一种可得的最新潜艇。俄国出售新的基洛潜艇大概每艘二亿美元，大概是其它西方国家销售的同类潜艇的一半价格。基洛级2,300吨（水面排水量），有六个鱼雷管和乘员57名。它们是静音的，而且能以大约每小时五公里静音速度在水下航行大约700公里。基洛级携带18枚鱼雷或SS-N-27反舰导弹（具有300公里射程并在水下从水雷管发射）。结合静音和巡航导弹使基洛对美国航空母舰来讲是非常危险地。朝鲜和伊朗也已经购买基洛级潜艇。

The Chinese have already built two Yuans, the second one an improvement on the first. These two boats have been at sea to try out the technology that was pilfered from the Russians. A third Yuan is under construction, and it also appears to be a bit different from the first two. The first Yuan appeared to be a copy of the early model Kilo (the model 877), while the second Yuan (referred to as a Type 39B) appeared to copy the late Kilos (model 636). The third Yuan may end up being a further evolution, or Type 39C.

中国已经建造两艘元级，第二艘在第一艘基础上进行改进。这二艘潜艇已经经历海试，据说仿自俄国技术。第三艘元级正在建造中，而且和前两艘相比它也似乎有一些不同之处。第一艘似乎是早期型号基洛（877型）的仿造型，第二艘元级（提到称为39B型）似乎仿造新的基洛型（636型），第三艘元级可能最终为进一步的演变，或称为39C型。

Preceding the Yuans was the Type 39, or Song class. This was the first Chinese sub to have the teardrop shaped hull, and was based on the predecessor of the Kilo, the Romeo class. The Type 39A was thought to be just an improved Song, but on closer examination, especially by the Russians, it looked like a clone of the Kilos. The Yuan class also have AIP (Air Independent Propulsion), which allows non-nuclear boats to stay underwater for days at a time. China currently has 13 Song class, 12 Kilo class, two Yuan class and 25 Romeo class boats. There are only three Han class SSNs, as the Chinese are still having a lot of problems with nuclear power in subs. Despite that, the Hans are going to sea, even though they are noisy and easily detected by Western sensors.

在元级之前的39型，或称为宋级。这是中国第一艘水滴形外壳的常规潜艇，基于基洛级前身Romeo级。39A型被认为仅仅一艘改进的宋级，但是接近观察，尤其俄国人认为它看起来像仿制基洛级一样。元级也有AIP（不依赖空气动力装置），允许非核动力的潜艇在水下停留长达数天之久。中国现在有13艘宋级，12艘基洛级，2艘元级和25艘Romeo级。仅有三艘汉级SSN，因为中国在核动力潜艇方面仍然有许多难题。不管那些，汉级正在去海洋，即使它们是吵杂的而且容易地被西方传感器发现。