In recent decades, China has managed to build its own strategic nuclear forces, including all the necessary components. In the development of strategic nuclear forces, special attention is paid to the ground components, as a result of which other components have a limited number and corresponding capabilities. Not the most developed, but sufficient for solving the assigned tasks is the naval component, built using submarines and ballistic missiles.
Missile submarines
According to known data, at present, the PLA Navy has about a dozen SSBNs and one experimental diesel-electric boat capable of carrying SLBMs. The exact number of the naval component is unknown due to the general atmosphere of secrecy inherent in the PLA. Nevertheless, from time to time, various data appear to clarify the situation.
The only SSBN pr. 092. Photo Whitefleet.net
Submarines of all classes can be used as part of all naval fleets. All such associations have their own bases for submarines. There are no exact data on the assignment of specific SSBNs to naval bases.
The oldest representative of Chinese SSBNs is the ship "Xia" (w / n 406) - the only representative of Project 092. This boat was laid down in 1978 and launched in 1981. For a number of technical and other reasons, the submarine was commissioned only in 1987. In the past, it has repeatedly undergone repairs and modernization, which allows it to continue to operate until now.
Project 092 provides for the construction of a SSBN with a total displacement of 8 thousand tons and a length of 120 m. The power plant is built on the basis of a nuclear reactor and two steam units; power is delivered to a single propeller. The boat develops a speed of up to 22 knots and descends to a depth of 300 m. The crew is 100 people.
In the bow compartment of the "Xia" SSBN is placed six torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber. The main armament is 12 JL-1A missiles in silo launchers located behind the wheelhouse. Due to the long length of the missiles and installations, the hull of the boat is supplemented with a characteristic superstructure.
The basis of the naval components of the strategic nuclear forces are the SSBNs of pr. 094, also known as "Jin". This project was created in the nineties to replace "092", and in 1999 the construction of the lead ship with w / n 409 started. This boat was commissioned into the Navy in 2004. According to various foreign sources, by now at least 4-5 SSBNs of pr. 094 have been built and put into operation. By 2020 or later, their number will be increased to eight. Thus, the Jin submarines have already become the basis of the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces and will retain this status in the future.
Boat type "094", launchers open. Photo News.usni.org
SSBN "094" are similar to an enlarged version of the previous "092". With a length of 135 m, they have a displacement of 11 thousand tons. The same architecture of the power plant is used. The submerged speed reaches 26 knots, the working depth is 300 m. The crew has been increased to 120 people.
Project 094 retained six 533 mm bow torpedo tubes. Behind the wheelhouse, a "hump" is again placed on the hull, under which there are 12 launchers. Jin boats must use modern JL-2 SLBMs.
In the context of submarines carrying ballistic missiles, it is necessary to recall the prototype ship of the project 032 "Qing". This is a diesel-electric submarine, created on the basis of one of the older models, designed to test and test new systems and weapons. The only ship of project 032 began service in 2012. In 2017, the modernization was completed, after which the boat can carry and use new types of weapons.
The submarine has a displacement of more than 6,600 tons and a length of over 90 m. The diesel-electric power plant provides a speed of no more than 14-15 knots with a limited cruising range. Crew - 88 people, autonomy - 30 days.
In the bow section of the Qing submarine there are two torpedo tubes of 533 and 650 mm caliber. Three vertical launchers for SLBMs are located inside the wheelhouse and its fencing. In the bow of the hull there are four similar cruise missile devices. Such equipment is used to test all new models of torpedo and missile weapons. The combat use of diesel-electric submarines pr. 032 is not provided.
Experimental diesel-electric submarine pr. 032 after modernization, 2017. Photo by Janes.com
There is information about the beginning of construction of new SSBNs of project 096 "Tan". They will be significantly larger and heavier than their predecessors, which will allow them to carry more ballistic missiles. It is expected that the first ships of this type will enter service no earlier than 2020. In the future, serial construction can be established, according to the results of which "Tans" will become the most massive SSBNs in the Chinese Navy.
According to various sources, Project 096 provides for the construction of a boat up to 150 m long with a displacement of up to 18-20 thousand tons. Increases in travel speed and working depths are expected. By increasing the size of the submarine will be able to carry up to 20-24 launchers for SLBMs JL-2 or JL-3.
Submarine missiles
The Chinese Navy is armed with two types of ballistic missiles for submarines. The third product has recently entered flight design tests and will enter the arsenals only in the distant future. All Chinese SLBMs are created within a single family called Juilan.
Submarine Xia is the only carrier of the Juilan-1 / JL-1 missile. This SLBM was developed in the late seventies, and in 1982 its first launch took place. In the eighties, such missiles were mass-produced and delivered to naval warehouses. According to some estimates, the JL-1 later served as the basis for the DF-21 "land" missile. The current status of the Juilan-1 missiles is unclear. Since the beginning of this decade, foreign sources have been talking about the possible abandonment of such weapons due to moral and physical obsolescence. Perhaps by now JL-1s have been decommissioned and disposed of.
The JL-1 rocket has a length of 10.7 m and an outer diameter of 1.4 m, a launch weight of 14.7 tons. The product is built according to a two-stage scheme and is equipped with solid-propellant engines. Throwing weight - 600 kg; a nuclear warhead with a capacity of up to 500 kt was used. The range of the first version of the JL-1 SLBM reached 1,700 km. In the JL-1A modernization project, this parameter was brought to 2500 km.
Ballistic missile JL-1 on a transporter. Photo Fas.org
The main SLBM of the naval component of China's strategic nuclear forces is the Juilan-2 product, which has been developed since the early nineties. According to some reports, the JL-2 naval missile was created on the basis of the DF-31 land-based missile. Tests of such a rocket started in 2001, and in 2004 it was put into service. Now it is used by SSBNs of pr. 094, and in the future new boats of pr. 096 will join them.
The JL-2 is a three-stage solid-propellant missile with a monobloc warhead. The length of the rocket is increased to 13 m, the launch weight is 42 tons. The firing range, according to various sources, is in the range from 7-8 to 10-12 thousand km. The power of the warhead is up to 1 Mt. Suggestions are made about the possibility of creating a warhead with individual guidance units.
In November last year, the first test launch of the promising Tsuilan-3 SLBM took place. There are no exact data on this project yet. The JL-3 is supposed to be similar to the JL-2, but with higher performance. The firing range can exceed 9-10 thousand km. Apparently, such missiles will be used on promising SSBNs of project 096. Ensuring compatibility with the current "094" looks questionable.
Submarine potential
It is not difficult to calculate the quantitative indicators of the naval component of China's strategic nuclear forces, as well as to determine the qualitative characteristics. Currently, the Navy has only one SSBN of Project 092 and no more than eight submarines of Project 094. Prospective ships of the 096 type have not yet been accepted into service. The only experimental boat, project 032, may not be considered in the context of combat use and the real potential of the fleet.
The available forces allow the PLA Navy to simultaneously deploy up to 12 JL-1 or JL-1A medium-range SLBMs, as well as no more than 96 newer Juilan-2 missiles. There is no talk of going on duty with the latest JL-3 SSBNs. The deployed missiles in total can carry 108 nuclear warheads with a capacity of up to 500-1000 kt and deliver at ranges of up to 2, 5, or up to 8-10 thousand km.
Underwater launch of the Juilan-2 rocket. Photo Defpost.com
The JL-1 (A) medium-range missile is no longer of particular interest to the Navy and Strategic Nuclear Forces. The limited range forces the carrier submarine to approach the shores of a potential enemy and enter the area of responsibility of anti-submarine defense. This is probably why only one ship was built according to the 092 project and at the first opportunity they switched to carriers of the JL-2 intercontinental SLBMs.
Foreign sources mention that the SSBN of pr. 094 with the Tszyuilan-2 SLBM also have a limited potential. According to various estimates, Chinese SSBNs are very noisy, which simplifies their search, detection and destruction. China's SLBMs are also not perfect. So, they lack modern means of overcoming missile defense. However, for obvious reasons, there are no specific and accurate data on the shortcomings of the boats and their weapons, and we are talking only about estimates and assumptions.
In the context of future rearmament with the use of Project 096 boats and JL-3 missiles, the situation is similar. Exactly how they will affect the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces - only the high command and the specialists involved in the projects know.
At the moment, the naval component is not the most numerous and powerful in the Chinese strategic nuclear forces, but it is quite suitable for solving the assigned tasks. Measures are being taken to further develop it, and the results will be obtained in the near future. Nevertheless, some serious questions remain unanswered, which do not allow a full assessment of the potential and future of both the marine component and the nuclear triad as a whole.
