China's new nuclear submarine; The 09X, previously thought to not have a sail (conning tower), does indeed have a sail structure.
This changes the initial assessment substantially.
So what is it exactly?đ
đčIF it was a sail-less sub, then it most likely would be an arsenal ship. With fewer crews and simpler mission profile, it can have more VLS for missiles.
đčBut it is not sail-less, a rather thin and small sail, with an unusually large X rudder aft (tail end), all point towards a highly hydrodynamic design for quiet and fast underwater speed.
This is indeed a variant of the Type-095 nuclear attack submarine SSN. Some claim it is an SSGN, the cruise missile variant.
đčAs I pointed out, the SSGN claim would make sense IF it was sail-less, with minimal crew or even optionally manned. But given that it is a more or less the same layout as the Type-095, this "SSGN" could at most only house 32-48 VLS, that's not enough to be a dedicated SSGN.
It would be way better to do what the Americans did with the Ohio class, that is to use our Type-096 nuclear ballistic sub and convert it to a SSGN, which could house more than 150 VLS.
đčHowever, this does not rule out SSGN hypothesis entirely. If it is a "mini" SSGN, it could be the PLA navy going down the route of distributed networked undersea warfare. Don't put all your 154 missile in one basket type of thinking.
It is a "mini" SSGN, but it's still expensive.
đčSO, I'm still leaning towards a maneuverable, high speed, submarine hunter. Having a sail structure does not negate it's hydrodynamic consideration.
If it is a sub hunter, then it will be tie-breaker when neither the Chinese navy nor the US navy can safely establish air superiority at sea.
Then a dedicated sub hunter like this Type-09X will first clear the water of enemy subs, for other Chinese subs to follow in and hunt for enemy ships. Gaining sea control from below.
đčThe one last caveat, this could be a "mini" SSGN, if it is a double hull design with more legacy components, making it cheaper to build in massive .
$ALICE $BTW $BICO
This changes the initial assessment substantially.
So what is it exactly?đ
đčIF it was a sail-less sub, then it most likely would be an arsenal ship. With fewer crews and simpler mission profile, it can have more VLS for missiles.
đčBut it is not sail-less, a rather thin and small sail, with an unusually large X rudder aft (tail end), all point towards a highly hydrodynamic design for quiet and fast underwater speed.
This is indeed a variant of the Type-095 nuclear attack submarine SSN. Some claim it is an SSGN, the cruise missile variant.
đčAs I pointed out, the SSGN claim would make sense IF it was sail-less, with minimal crew or even optionally manned. But given that it is a more or less the same layout as the Type-095, this "SSGN" could at most only house 32-48 VLS, that's not enough to be a dedicated SSGN.
It would be way better to do what the Americans did with the Ohio class, that is to use our Type-096 nuclear ballistic sub and convert it to a SSGN, which could house more than 150 VLS.
đčHowever, this does not rule out SSGN hypothesis entirely. If it is a "mini" SSGN, it could be the PLA navy going down the route of distributed networked undersea warfare. Don't put all your 154 missile in one basket type of thinking.
It is a "mini" SSGN, but it's still expensive.
đčSO, I'm still leaning towards a maneuverable, high speed, submarine hunter. Having a sail structure does not negate it's hydrodynamic consideration.
If it is a sub hunter, then it will be tie-breaker when neither the Chinese navy nor the US navy can safely establish air superiority at sea.
Then a dedicated sub hunter like this Type-09X will first clear the water of enemy subs, for other Chinese subs to follow in and hunt for enemy ships. Gaining sea control from below.
đčThe one last caveat, this could be a "mini" SSGN, if it is a double hull design with more legacy components, making it cheaper to build in massive .
$ALICE $BTW $BICO
