China ballistic missile submarine force growing: US navy

China is conducting sea trials of the first of five new nuclear-powered submarines armed with longer-range ballistic missiles, according to a US naval intelligence report made public Friday. . The sea trials are part of a broader push by China to check US naval power in the western Pacific with a more modern fleet of nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines, the Office of Naval Intelligence said. . The first of the new nuclear ballistic missile submarines, designated the Type 094 SSBN, could begin operating as early as 2008, it said. . The submarine "will provide China with a modern and robust sea-based nuclear deterrent force," the ONI reported. . It will be equipped with the JL-2 sea-launched ballistic missile with range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), a big gain over China's only other ballistic missile submarine. . The XIA SSBN, a 24-year-old nuclear powered vessel, is armed with the JL-1 missile, which has a range of only 1,7770 kilometers (1,000 miles). . Even at that shorter range, the XIA can target US military facilities in the region from launch points inside traditional Chinese operating areas, the report said. . The ONI said China probably will build five of the new ballistic missile submarines "in order to provide more redundancy and capacity for a near-continuous at-sea SSBN presence." . "Construction and sea trials of the Type 094 program are ongoing," it said. . The unclassified ONI report, which was obtained by AFP and has a question-and-answer format, was first reported by Sea Power magazine, then picked up by the Washington Times. . It said China also is concluding sea trials of a new Type 093 nuclear powered attack submarine that is expected to be quieter and armed with more advanced weaponry than its predecessor, the HAN SSN class submarines. . It will have anti-ship cruise missiles and more modern torpedoes than the HAN, the report said. . "China has built these features into the Type 093 in an effort to improve the PLA(N)'s (Peoples Liberation Army Navy) to conduct anti-surface warfare at greater ranges from the Chinese coast than its diesel submarine force offers," it said. . The report said the China's navy currently has about 55 attacks submarines, most of them diesel electric. . It is a smaller but more technologically advanced force than the one China had in the 1980s. . Each of the attack submarines are armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and designed to be quiet enough to operate in the open ocean. . A key focus of China's maritime strategy is to keep outside powers beyond striking range in a Tawan scenario. . "Much of China's military modernization effort of the past five years, and particularly the modernization of the Chinese Navy, has been designed to improve China's anti-carrier capability," the ONI said. . "China envisions an attack on a carrier strike group as incorporating submarine-launched ASCM (anti-ship cruise missile) strikes and ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile) strikes," it said. . It said China is equipping theater ballistic missiles with maneuvering reentry vehicles with radar and infrared seekers to attack a ship at sea. . China has focused on submarines because its surface warfare ships are harder to defend against air or submarine attack, it said. . China's maritime strategy is also aimed at protecting a growing sea trade crucial to its economy, the report said. . "In order to protect oil and other trade routes, the PLA (N) is beginning to develop the foundations of a naval capability that can defend sea lines of communications," the report said. — AFP China is conducting sea trials of the first of five new nuclear-powered submarines armed with longer-range ballistic missiles, according to a US naval intelligence report made public Friday. . The sea trials are part of a broader push by China to check US naval power in the western Pacific with a more modern fleet of nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines, the Office of Naval Intelligence said. . The first of the new nuclear ballistic missile submarines, designated the Type 094 SSBN, could begin operating as early as 2008, it said. . The submarine "will provide China with a modern and robust sea-based nuclear deterrent force," the ONI reported. . It will be equipped with the JL-2 sea-launched ballistic missile with range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), a big gain over China's only other ballistic missile submarine. . The XIA SSBN, a 24-year-old nuclear powered vessel, is armed with the JL-1 missile, which has a range of only 1,7770 kilometers (1,000 miles). . Even at that shorter range, the XIA can target US military facilities in the region from launch points inside traditional Chinese operating areas, the report said. . The ONI said China probably will build five of the new ballistic missile submarines "in order to provide more redundancy and capacity for a near-continuous at-sea SSBN presence." . "Construction and sea trials of the Type 094 program are ongoing," it said. . The unclassified ONI report, which was obtained by AFP and has a question-and-answer format, was first reported by Sea Power magazine, then picked up by the Washington Times. . It said China also is concluding sea trials of a new Type 093 nuclear powered attack submarine that is expected to be quieter and armed with more advanced weaponry than its predecessor, the HAN SSN class submarines. . It will have anti-ship cruise missiles and more modern torpedoes than the HAN, the report said. . "China has built these features into the Type 093 in an effort to improve the PLA(N)'s (Peoples Liberation Army Navy) to conduct anti-surface warfare at greater ranges from the Chinese coast than its diesel submarine force offers," it said. . The report said the China's navy currently has about 55 attacks submarines, most of them diesel electric. . It is a smaller but more technologically advanced force than the one China had in the 1980s. . Each of the attack submarines are armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and designed to be quiet enough to operate in the open ocean. . A key focus of China's maritime strategy is to keep outside powers beyond striking range in a Tawan scenario. . "Much of China's military modernization effort of the past five years, and particularly the modernization of the Chinese Navy, has been designed to improve China's anti-carrier capability," the ONI said. . "China envisions an attack on a carrier strike group as incorporating submarine-launched ASCM (anti-ship cruise missile) strikes and ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile) strikes," it said. . It said China is equipping theater ballistic missiles with maneuvering reentry vehicles with radar and infrared seekers to attack a ship at sea. . China has focused on submarines because its surface warfare ships are harder to defend against air or submarine attack, it said. . China's maritime strategy is also aimed at protecting a growing sea trade crucial to its economy, the report said. . "In order to protect oil and other trade routes, the PLA (N) is beginning to develop the foundations of a naval capability that can defend sea lines of communications," the report said. — AFP China is conducting sea trials of the first of five new nuclear-powered submarines armed with longer-range ballistic missiles, according to a US naval intelligence report made public Friday. . The sea trials are part of a broader push by China to check US naval power in the western Pacific with a more modern fleet of nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines, the Office of Naval Intelligence said. . The first of the new nuclear ballistic missile submarines, designated the Type 094 SSBN, could begin operating as early as 2008, it said. . The submarine "will provide China with a modern and robust sea-based nuclear deterrent force," the ONI reported. . It will be equipped with the JL-2 sea-launched ballistic missile with range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), a big gain over China's only other ballistic missile submarine. . The XIA SSBN, a 24-year-old nuclear powered vessel, is armed with the JL-1 missile, which has a range of only 1,7770 kilometers (1,000 miles). . Even at that shorter range, the XIA can target US military facilities in the region from launch points inside traditional Chinese operating areas, the report said. . The ONI said China probably will build five of the new ballistic missile submarines "in order to provide more redundancy and capacity for a near-continuous at-sea SSBN presence." . "Construction and sea trials of the Type 094 program are ongoing," it said. . The unclassified ONI report, which was obtained by AFP and has a question-and-answer format, was first reported by Sea Power magazine, then picked up by the Washington Times. . It said China also is concluding sea trials of a new Type 093 nuclear powered attack submarine that is expected to be quieter and armed with more advanced weaponry than its predecessor, the HAN SSN class submarines. . It will have anti-ship cruise missiles and more modern torpedoes than the HAN, the report said. . "China has built these features into the Type 093 in an effort to improve the PLA(N)'s (Peoples Liberation Army Navy) to conduct anti-surface warfare at greater ranges from the Chinese coast than its diesel submarine force offers," it said. . The report said the China's navy currently has about 55 attacks submarines, most of them diesel electric. . It is a smaller but more technologically advanced force than the one China had in the 1980s. . Each of the attack submarines are armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and designed to be quiet enough to operate in the open ocean. . A key focus of China's maritime strategy is to keep outside powers beyond striking range in a Tawan scenario. . "Much of China's military modernization effort of the past five years, and particularly the modernization of the Chinese Navy, has been designed to improve China's anti-carrier capability," the ONI said. . "China envisions an attack on a carrier strike group as incorporating submarine-launched ASCM (anti-ship cruise missile) strikes and ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile) strikes," it said. . It said China is equipping theater ballistic missiles with maneuvering reentry vehicles with radar and infrared seekers to attack a ship at sea. . China has focused on submarines because its surface warfare ships are harder to defend against air or submarine attack, it said. . China's maritime strategy is also aimed at protecting a growing sea trade crucial to its economy, the report said. . "In order to protect oil and other trade routes, the PLA (N) is beginning to develop the foundations of a naval capability that can defend sea lines of communications," the report said. — AFP

As a retired P3 Navy I have to chuckle, gimme a P3 Orion and a dozen sono bouys I'll find 'em every time.

VP93, VP64, VP 66, 'git 'er done!

While we spend most of $$ on entitlements, China takes our exports dollars and builds up its military. Some $45B in defense spending does not sound like a lot, but they don't have our overhead--I'm sure they pay their troops next to nothing. Plus, their acquisition process isn't nearly as bloated as ours.

Looks like things are going to heat up

How can you tell? Did you decipher that massive message that quick?

Holy smokes Sukhoi, paragraphs ARE your friend!

7 posted on 03/05/2007 5:06:41 AM PST by mkjessup (My mechanic said "I can't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder" - Stephen Wright)

""China envisions an attack on a carrier strike group as incorporating submarine-launched ASCM (anti-ship cruise missile) strikes and ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile) strikes," it said. . It said China is equipping theater ballistic missiles with maneuvering reentry vehicles with radar and infrared seekers to attack a ship at sea."

Perhaps we should publish a list of the sites in China that we have targeted with SLBMs.

I'm new here and I've learned about "barf alerts."

Is there a "cross-eyed alert?"

Yeah dust off the old pegasus torpedoes.....and er....excuse me...I'm eating breakfast...oh then send a sqaudron of f-22's to knock out their air force....umm those are good eggs.

We did it in the P-2 Neptune

got to love those recips'

FYI

The P2V was also the last US military aircraft to feature the Emerson ball turret.

Heat up? Like if anyone uses these weapons we'll want to hang around?

These are superpower stalemate weapons; they won't be used and are of limited practical value.

Pig boat Freepers may recall my earlier post about the debacle where North American/Rockwell sold a $6M milling machine to the Chicoms for $250,000. The CNC machine (acronym FROREAP) was salvage at the end of the B1-B production line. The Navy screamed bloody murder because this machine could be used to make gigantic props for subs with very smooth surfaces, i.e., low cavitation. State Dept. and the Administration of G. Bush overruled the Navy because the Chicoms were not considered to be an enemy at that time. Now we suffer the consequences. DoD should have paid Rockwell to cut that machine into scrap.

I've got no time to read this article. I've got to get down to Wal-Mart -- they're having a sale on flat panel t.v.'s!!!
(/sarc)

18 posted on 03/05/2007 10:19:16 AM PST by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestus globus, inflammare animos)

As a retired P3 Navy I have to chuckle, gimme a P3 Orion and a dozen sono bouys I'll find 'em every time,/i.

Probably, but can you count on having those resources adequately and in enough time to deal with what will surely be a growing fleet and which - when the balloon goes up - might be anywhere worldwide?They don't exactly need long to launch nukes if the situation demands it. This is a smart first step by the Chinese. A steadily growing ballistic sub force will force the US to devote more assets to tracking and being ready to interdict which will not be cheap.

I read this and realizing we're decoming 2 or 3 boats a yr, and only building one new one. I know ours are better tech wise, but sheer numbers are going to bite us in the butt. In my days we had 129 SSNs. we now have 55, and that number is going down.
We're having problems now covering our comments, it will get worse in the next few years. We need to start PUMPING OUT MORE HULLS!!!

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