sumdud said:
PLAN is in need in terms of SLBMs and SSBNs, but as for SSGNs, I think China can soon solve that. China has already gotten the technology for launching missiles underwater, and is nearing the commissioning of their own curise missile, if not done so already. I don't think it will be long before China successfully makes a SLCM, giving way to SSGNs(type 93?) and SSGs(Song and Yuan?)
Speculations are already made for such, if I am right.
It's prolly not difficult to upgrade existing PLAN subs for torpedo-tube launched cruise missiles, but the firing rate will be slow comparred to dedicated VLS system.
IMO the primary anti-ship weapon of submarines today, should be cruise missiles and not torpedos. Torpedos are still useful for self-defense vs. other subs, but its limited range (10km-20km?) makes it a "short arm" comparred to 500 km range cruise missile.
The American BGM-109B TASM/SLCM, for example, is a submarine-launched anti-ship vairant of the Tomahawk cruise missile with 1,000 lb (450 kg) warhead and range of 460 km:
The BGM-109B (later RGM/UGM-109B) TASM was developed concurrently with the BGM-109A TLAM-N, and was actually the first variant to be deployed in operational status. Instead of TERCOM (which is obviously useless over water), the TASM uses a radar guidance system very similar to that of the AGM/RGM/UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, including the latter's strapdown three-axis attitude/heading reference system and AN/DSQ-28 J-band active radar seeker. The missile is launched in the general direction of the target and at some distance from the expected target position, it enters a serpentine flight pattern to search for it using both passive radar to scan enemy emissions and active radar to lock on a detected target. Once the seeker has locked on a target, the RGM/UGM-109B proceeds towards it at very low altitude (sea-skimming). Manoeuvers after lock-on can include short pop-ups to get a better fix on the target position and/or course changes to strike the target from an unexpected direction. The missile is armed with a 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-25/B high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead, and can hit the target either from the side or from the top after a terminal pop-up manoeuver.
If we look at the 19,000 ton USN Ohio-class SSGN conversion, it can carry up to 154 Tomahawk SLCM's in VLS cells. Imagine if it was used as an anti-shipping platform.
IMO the PLAN's SSBN development can be modified for SSGN variant (SSBN's are built for VLS anyway). Instead of SLBM's, they can be equipped with SLCM VLS system. Possible weapons include anti-ship SLCM, Land-attack SLCM, anti-submarine rocket/SUBROC, sub-launched UAV, attack-UAV, etc.
Let's take a hypothetical scenario (armchair general at work) with a Type 094 SSGN variant. The assumed specs of the sub is 9,000 ton displacement, 60-80 cel VLS, 6x torpedo tubes + 12-18 torpedos.
===== Simulated fictional scenario =====
An enemy submarine is detected at beyond-torpedo range. The SSGN fires a couple of SUBROC's, which flys for 60 km and drops an active (light-weight) torpedo on top of the enemy sub. Boom. (see: USN Sea Lance SUBROC)
An enemy surface ship is detected (by satellite or other means) at range of 400 km. The SSGN fires multiple anti-ship SLCM's at target, then an UAV to confirm target status (one-way mission, UAV will not be recovered).
The SSGN receives orders to attack a land-target 1,000 km away. The SSGN launches land-attack SLCM's at target, then an UAV to inspect the target.
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Lighter-displacement conventional subs, such as the 039G SSK, are prolly too small for VLS system.
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