09III/09IV (093/094) Nuclear Submarine Thread
- Thread starter SinoSoldier
- Start date
The French operated 5 of the Le Redoutable Class ballistic missile submarines to ensure 2 at sea in a crisis until they were replaced.
No ! damn 6 Redoutable and i am French... to ensure 3 at sea in a crisis.
With 4 it is 2 disponible for crisis.
Damn i have to make sure I put an update on my reference book. I have a small library of military booksNo ! damn 6 Redoutable and i am French... to ensure 3 at sea in a crisis.
With 4 it is 2 disponible for crisis.
antiterror13
Brigadier
remember the French SSBN Triomphant is significantly better than Type 094 .... and China is way way bigger than France ... I would say China would need at least very modern 10 SSBN (096 class) ... to make sure at least 4/5 operational at any time
antiterror13
Brigadier
It seems to me Type 094 technological level is between Redoutable and Triomphant (lean to the latter) ..... hopefully Type 096 will achieve the same level as Triomphant or maybe surpass it ... who knows?
SinoSoldier
Colonel
What China needs is not necessarily a new & shiny SSBN but rather a SLBM that can hit most targets on Earth from the vicinity of the SCS, where existing PLAN submarines can operate in relative safety.
If a DF-31A-based "JL-2A" can manage a 12000 km range with 3-4 MIRVs, the PLAN could even throw the 096 project in the backburner and rely on existing submarines to build a credible second-strike capability.
If a DF-31A-based "JL-2A" can manage a 12000 km range with 3-4 MIRVs, the PLAN could even throw the 096 project in the backburner and rely on existing submarines to build a credible second-strike capability.
antiterror13
Brigadier
True ... but China is not China was in 1980s/1990s .. it is a super power or close to it
China need SSBN that can roam all oceans undetected .. perhaps not now ... but definitely need it in 2020s
The reason both France and the UK have 4 SSBNs each is so that 1 SSBN is constantly on patrol (that's a 25% availability, and maybe double that on short notice during emergencies). So a force comprised of 10 SSBNs (and I agree they should be at least 096 level before the PLAN produces SSBNs in any greater numbers) would enable 2 or 3 to be constantly on patrol. If you then double-crew them like the USN does you may be able to squeeze out 4 or 5 constantly on patrol.
I would gladly take a survivable SSBN in trade for a longer range SLBM, because a loud SSBN is like a liquid-fueled ICBM: always in danger of premature destruction before it can blow its load. In this case a longer ranged JL-2A will do you no good when you get tracked and sunk by an enemy SSN as soon as you leave your base. Possibly a 096+JL-3 combo will give the Chinese military's sea-based nuclear deterrent both survivability and range, because I suspect the current 094/A is probably not survivable enough to serve as a truly credible strategic deterrent. The other problem with the 094 is that there is only so much space in a fixed silo. I guess you could improve the JL-2's fuel efficiency and the aerodynamics somewhat, but how much more range this will give you is unclear. I think the 096 would likely come with bigger silos for a ~2.1m diameter SLBM that will have a range comparable to the Trident D5, which will allow a 096 to put almost the entire continental US at risk from Chinese territorial waters.