The new submarine may have a vertical launch system (VLS) behind the sail.

新潜艇的围壳可能有一个垂直发射系统（VLS）。

 

A Chinese shipyard in Wuhan has launched a submarine which is likely to be the country's most advanced non-nuclear type. The new boat is larger than existing ones and is the first in the country to feature X-form rudders. There are indications that it may have a vertical launch system (VLS).

武汉的一家中国造船厂下水了一艘潜艇，这可能是中国最先进的非核潜艇。这艘新潜艇比现有的更大，是该国第一艘配备X型舵的潜艇。有迹象表明，它可能有一个垂直发射系统（VLS）。

 

H I Sutton  21 Aug 2024

作者：萨顿(H.I. Sutton) 2024年8月21日

 

China does not advertise its new submarine designs in the way virtually every other country does. Information in Chinese state media is extremely limited; nothing which forewarns of a specific new class of boat, or reveals the construction numbers. There are sometimes rumors, but that’s about it. There are no official announcements or fancy graphics.

中国并不像其他国家那样宣传其新的潜艇设计。中国官方媒体的信息极其有限；没有任何关于特定新型船只的预告，也没有任何关于建造数量的信息。有时会有谣言，但仅此而已。没有官方公告或花哨的图片。

 

All this is true of a new type of submarine has been observed at a Chinese shipyard. The submarine was launched without public reporting in April 2024, and was revealed by naval expert Tom Shugart in July. The new submarine features X-form rudders, a first for Chinese submarines.

在中国的一家造船厂，我们观察到了一种新型潜艇。该潜艇于2024年4月在没有公开报道的情况下下水，并于7月由海军专家汤姆·舒加特透露。这艘新潜艇配备了X型舵，这是中国潜艇的第一款。

 

The Mystery Submarine

神秘潜艇

 

So the submarine is something of a mystery. The most straightforward explanation is that it is a derivative of the Type-039A-C Yuan class. This is the main conventionally powered (non-nuclear) submarine in service with the Chinese Navy. China is currently producing an export variant of these at the same shipyard for Pakistan as Hangor class. The current model in series production for the PLAN is the Type-039C which features a distinctive stealthily shaped sail.

所以潜艇是个谜。最直接的解释是，它是039A-C元级的衍生型号。这是中国海军服役的主要常规动力（非核）潜艇。中国目前正在为巴基斯坦生产与汉戈尔级相同的出口型号。PLAN目前批量生产的型号是039C型，其特点是独特的隐形围壳。

 

The new submarine has similar proportions to its forward section as the Yuan. This suggests that the forward hull, with its sonar and torpedo room, is similar. Behind the sail it appears significantly longer however, and id differentiated by x-form rudders.

新潜艇的前部比例与元级相似。这表明，前艇体及其声纳和鱼雷室是相似的。然而，在围壳的后面，它看起来要长得多，并且身份区别是x形舵。

 

The x-form rudders can be seen as a progressive upgrade over the traditional cruciform type found on other Chinese submarines.  Although some Chinese extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) already have them. They are generally regarded as better for agility, particularly in shallow water.

x型舵可以被视为对中国其他潜艇上传统十字型舵的逐步升级。尽管一些中国超大型无人水下航行器（XLUUV）已经拥有了它们。它们通常被认为更敏捷，尤其是在浅水区。

 

The difference isn’t fight winning however and they come with disadvantages as well, particularly in the case of a control jam. For this reason x-form rudders are only slowly being adopted for nuclear submarines whose high speed reduces the margins of error. But this is less of a concern on slower submarines like this one.

然而，区别并不在于赢得比赛，它们也有缺点，特别是在控制卡住的情况下。因此，x型舵只是慢慢被用于核潜艇，因为核潜艇的高速降低了误差幅度。但对于像这样速度较慢的潜艇来说，这并不那么令人担忧。

 

Vertically Launched Missiles?

垂直发射导弹？

 

The increased hull length may indicate the addition of a vertical launch system (VLS) for missiles. This is an increasingly important consideration in submarines but is less common in non-nuclear submarines which are generally smaller. The trend in non-nuclear submarines has been set by the South Korean KSS-III and Israeli Drakon Class. If this new submarine does have a VLS behind the sail it can likely accommodate between four and eight missiles, depending on their diameter.

艇体长度的增加可能表明增加了导弹的垂直发射系统（VLS）。这在潜艇中是一个越来越重要的考虑因素，但在通常较小的非核潜艇中不太常见。非核潜艇的发展趋势是由韩国的KSS-III和以色列的德拉肯级潜艇决定的。如果这艘新潜艇的围壳后确实有一个VLS，它可能会容纳四到八枚导弹，具体取决于它们的直径。

 

China has been experimenting with VLS on submarines since the introduction of the Type-032 Qing class test boat. This has four small diameter VLS tubes forward of the sail. These were recently modified with a raised deck over them, suggesting a new missile is being tested.

自从引进032型清级试验艇以来，中国一直在潜艇上进行VLS试验。围壳前方有四个小直径的VLS管。这些导弹最近经过改装，上面有一个升高的甲板，这表明正在测试一种新的导弹。

 

Outlook: A Highly Potent Threat

展望：一个非常强大的威胁

 

If the VLS is fitted then it may carry anti-ship ballistic missiles, or land attack missiles which are too large to launch through the torpedo tubes. The Yuan class already has cruise missiles which can be carried in the torpedo room.

如果安装了VLS，那么它可能会携带反舰弹道导弹，或者太大而无法通过鱼雷发射管发射的对地攻击导弹。元级已经有了可以在鱼雷舱携带的巡航导弹。

 

An alternative explanation for the increased length may be a new or improved form of propulsion. It is difficult for this alone to account for the increased size given that the Yuan class already has space for air independent power (AIP). Therefore the VLS explanation appears more likely at this stage.

对增加长度的另一种解释可能是一种新的或改进的推进形式。考虑到元级已经有了空气独立动力的空间（AIP），这一点很难单独解释增加的尺寸。因此，VLS的解释在这个阶段似乎更有可能。

 

Analysts will no doubt be watching this submarine closely, hoping to find out more. If it does include a VLS then it will make the Chinese submarine one of the most potent non-nuclear boats in the world. This will be something of an upset for planners who can currently put the PLAN conventional submarine force in a box marked ‘local relevance only’. China’s naval might continues to grow in quality as well as size.

毫无疑问，分析人士将密切关注这艘潜艇，希望了解更多信息。如果它确实包括一套VLS，那么它将使这种中国潜艇成为世界上最强大的非核潜艇之一。这将让规划者感到不安，他们目前可以将中国海军的常规潜艇部队放在一个标有“仅与当地相关”的盒子里。中国海军的实力在质量和规模上都在持续增长。

 

Posted by : H I Sutton

发布者：萨顿

 

H I Sutton writes about the secretive and under-reported submarines, seeking out unusual and interesting vessels and technologies involved in fighting beneath the waves. Submarines, capabilities, naval special forces underwater vehicles and the changing world of underwater warfare and seabed warfare. To do this he combines the latest Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) with the traditional art and science of defense analysis. He occasionally writes non-fiction books on these topics and draws analysis-based illustrations to bring the subject to life. In addition, H I Sutton is a naval history buff and data geek. His personal website about these topics is Covert Shores (www.hisutton.com)

H I Sutton撰写了关于秘密和报道不足的潜艇的文章，寻找参与海底战斗的不同寻常和有趣的船只和技术。潜艇、能力、海军特种部队水下航行器以及不断变化的水下战争和海底战争世界。为此，他将最新的开源情报（OSINT）与传统的防御分析艺术和科学相结合。他偶尔会写关于这些主题的非小说类书籍，并绘制基于分析的插图，将这个主题栩栩如生。此外，H I Sutton是一位海军历史爱好者和数据极客。他关于这些主题的个人网站是Covert Shores（www.hisutton.com）