Satellite images from China show cranes during a rescue operation in a port. According to information from US government circles, a nuclear-powered submarine sank there in the summer. It would be a setback for China’s arms plans.
According to US government circles, a latest-generation nuclear-powered submarine sank in China in the summer. The submarine sank in May or June from a pier in the harbor near Wuhan, a senior US Defense Department official said. It is not clear what led to this and whether it had nuclear fuel on board.
The incident raises many questions, such as the quality of equipment, accountability of the Chinese military and oversight of the corruption-plagued sector, it said. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Navy tried to cover up such a sinking.
Still in the construction phase
First had The Wall Street Journal reported the incident. The submarine – still in the construction phase – was seen in satellite images at a pier on the Yangtze River at the end of May. At the end of June, images from Planet Labs PBC show floating cranes retrieving parts from the riverbed.
The submarine was the first of a new class of nuclear submarines and was clearly recognizable in satellite images due to its characteristic stern shape, US circles said. On August 25th there was another submarine in the same place. Whether it was the same thing remained unclear.
The Chinese authorities have not yet commented on the incident. Spokespeople for the State Department and the Chinese Embassy in Washington said only that they knew nothing about the alleged incident.
Largest Navy in the World
The incident is a bitter setback for the People’s Republic, which has made expanding its armed forces and submarine fleet one of its top priorities, the Wall Street Journal said. The submarine has been recovered, but it will be months before it can set sail.
According to estimates by the US Department of Defense, China has the largest navy in the world with more than 370 warships and one of the largest military budgets. Accordingly, in 2022, China had six ballistic missile submarines and six nuclear-powered attack submarines, as well as 48 diesel-powered attack submarines. The US expects this fleet to grow to 65 submarines by 2025 and 80 by 2035.
Conflicts in South Chinese sea
Washington is watching the build-up of the Chinese navy with concern. Beijing is becoming increasingly determined to assert its claim to almost the entire South China Sea, which is crucial for international trade. China is therefore involved in long-standing territorial disputes with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States regularly sends ships through the South China Sea to emphasize freedom of navigation there.
On Wednesday, China announced that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. This had sparked international concern about the country’s nuclear armament.