Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Type 096 |
Operators | ![]() |
Preceded by | Type 094 submarine |
General characteristics | |
Type | SSBN |
Displacement | 20,000tons(submerged) [1] [2] |
Propulsion | Nuclear reactor |
Armament | JL-3 SLBMs (?) |
The Type 096 (NATO reporting name: Tang class) is a projected class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) for China's People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force. The submarine is expected to begin construction in the early 2020s and be armed with the JL-3 SLBM. [3] [4]
Recent analysis deduced that China is on track to complete the first Type 096 and make it operational before the end of the decade. [5]
The Type 096 will be compared to the most modern Chinese submarines in terms of stealth, sensors and weapons. The capabilities of the Type 096 is speculated to be a significant jump to its predecessors, which would flip the balance in the Indo-Pacific. [5] In November 2023, satellite imagery on the Huludao shipyard showed pressure hull sections for a large submarine being worked up, which was then stated to likely be the Type 096 in early construction. [5] The vessel is also speculated to be significantly larger than the old Type 094 and follows a design similar to that of Russia's; allowing it to contain an internal raft mounted on complex rubber supports that helps dampen the noise of the submarine's engines. [5]