The incident involving the primary of the Zhou-class line of vessels reportedly occurred in Wuhan in late Might or early June
China’s latest nuclear submarine sank whereas in dock a number of months in the past, US media shops claimed on Thursday, citing sources. Beijing has reportedly averted making the incident public amid a serious effort to develop its navy.
Unnamed US officers advised the Wall Road Journal and CNN that the incident occurred at a shipyard close to Wuhan in late Might or early June. In line with Reuters, satellite tv for pc photographs from June seem to point out cranes on the facility within the Wuchang district the place the submarine would have been docked, indicating a possible salvage operation.
CNN described the vessel as an assault submarine, the primary of the brand new Zhou class, which has a particular X-shaped stern that will increase its maneuverability. The WSJ mentioned the submarine was finishing its outfitting earlier than leaving port when it went down.
A senior protection official advised CNN that it was unclear whether or not the sub had nuclear gas on board when it sank or whether or not it was emptied after the incident. There isn’t a indication of what precipitated the sinking, or whether or not Chinese language authorities have examined the water for contamination.
US officers interviewed by the WSJ recommended that Beijing was attempting to cowl up the controversy as a result of it by no means reported the incident. “It’s not shocking that the PLA Navy would attempt to conceal the truth that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered assault submarine sank pierside,” the paper’s supply mentioned. This raises questions not solely about China’s coaching requirements but in addition its accountability and oversight of the protection trade, the supply alleged.
A spokesperson for the Chinese language embassy within the US neither confirmed nor denied the incident. “We aren’t accustomed to the state of affairs you talked about and at the moment haven’t any data to supply,” he mentioned.
In line with a 2021 Pentagon report, China has the world’s largest navy by way of numbers, with a complete of about 355 ships and submarines. In 2022, the US estimated that Beijing had six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered assault submarines, and 48 diesel-powered assault submarines. Beijing plans to dramatically develop its navy amid tensions with the US over Taiwan and numerous regional powers within the South China Sea.
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