Has a Chinese Submarine Been Lost in the Taiwanese Strait? – On Tuesday, online rumors circulated that a Chinese Type 093 (Shang-class) nuclear-powered submarine suffered a serious mishap while transiting the Taiwan Strait.
According to early reports, it was lost with all hands.
Did China Lose a Submarine?
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that it was meticulously and very cautiously monitoring all maritime and aerial activities around the Taiwan Strait.
Still, it also said that military intelligence and surveillance did not detect any evidence of a Chinese submarine crash in or near the waters.
The report of the lost submarine came just days after China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan.
Beijing maintains that the self-governing island is actually a breakaway province that will be returned to mainland control, and by force if necessary.
The Type 093 in the Crosshairs
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is now the largest naval force in the world – and it has been dramatically expanding its submarine force.
The first iteration of the Type 093 dates all the way back to 2005, but it was not without problems—and it offered little improvement over its problem-plagued, noisy predecessor, the Type 091.
However, it has been significantly enhanced and the Type 093A Shang-II class is the most powerful attack submarine in China’s arsenal today.
The nearly 7,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine is roughly the same size as the Royal Navy’s Astute-class, which puts it in between the French Navy Suffren-class and the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class.
While nuclear-powered submarines tend to be louder than their diesel-electric counterparts, the Type 093A reportedly uses some of its larger size for noise-reducing features including acoustic stealth.
Improvements in reactor coolant pump design may have helped reduce the Shang-class’ acoustic signature.
Powered by a pressurized water nuclear reactor, the Type 093/093A can reach speeds of up to 30 knots, or 56 km/h, and it has unlimited range. The boats can accommodate a crew of 100.
It remains unclear from the reports whether the alleged incident involved a Type 093 or the improved Type 093A.
Social Media Only Confused Matters
The loss of the submarine was first reported via X – the social media platform owned by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, formerly known as Twitter.
There has been almost no information released to corroborate the sinking of the submarine.
Beijing has not commented on the matter, including any confirmation or even denial. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which operates China’s submarine fleet, is known to be notoriously tight-lipped – but this could be an example of a rumor on social media taking on a life of its own.
Noted naval expert and independent defense analyst H I Sutton (@CovertShores), also issued an update, “I deleted the post re reported missing #Chinese submarine. So far not seen any convincing evidence to support rumors, and too much weight is being placed on my posts (despite my caveats) Treat topic with caution. Awaiting credible info #OSINT”
At this point, it would appear the reports of the loss of a Chinese submarine in the Taiwanese Strait – much like the rumors of Mark Twain’s death – were greatly exaggerated.
This is a developing story.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
Note: The image depicted is of a Chinese SSBN nuclear submarine.
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