Shame. I don't think any navy anywhere would like to face a competently crewed modern SSK/SSP in shallow waters if they can help it.
PLA Navy news, pics and videos
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
what's the chance of it being merely a movie-prop ???
broadsword
Brigadier
A movie prop would not be self-powered but towed.
What?
Single hull design is not advanced? blended sail is not advanced? If anything, this is the most advanced submarine design I have ever seen out of China. Due to its size, it's not that capable. Calling it not advanced would be grossly overestimating China's current fleet of submarines.
I see this as an experimental project to test out these new concepts, before moving on to the next generation SSK and SSN. Those should all be single hulled with more modern sail and propulsion.
How about the small reactor submarine?
Surely the sailless sub was the demonstrator? This could be a first of class operational sub.
I am thinking, just from my guts, that it could be for new battery technologies, such as Lithium Ion or LiFePo, and testing new design and hull concepts.
PiSigma
"the engineer"
I think this might be a testing model. Probably not for testing subsystems but for testing the hydraulics of the new hull/sail. Supercomputer modelling can only go so far, they needed a smaller version to test in open ocean. If successful, build a bigger full size version with whatever problems they find fixed. Probably looking at the trial version of a brand new class in a couple of years.