Type 039A submarine

039B-class profile
Yuan class
Class overview
NameYuan class
BuildersWuchang Shipbuilding, Wuhan
Operators People's Liberation Army Navy

Future operators

 Royal Thai Navy
 Pakistan Navy
Preceded byType 039 (Song class)
Succeeded byType 039C
Subclasses
  • Hangor class (Pakistan) (under construction)
  • Matchanu class (Thailand) (under construction)
In commission2006–present
Planned25 [1][2]
Completed20 [1][2]
Active20 [1][2]
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement3,600 t (3,500 long tons) (submerged)
Length77.6 m (254 ft 7 in)[3]
Beam8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)[3]
Draft6.7 meter square.[3]
PropulsionDiesel-electric, 1 shaft, AIP
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Test depth250 m (820 ft)
Complement36[4]
Armament6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, anti-ship missiles

The Type 039A submarine (NATO reporting name: Yuan class) is a class of diesel-electric submarine in China's People's Liberation Army Navy.[5] It is China's first AIP powered submarine.[6] This class is the successor of the Type 039 submarine. The official Chinese designation is 039A as the ship is based on the 039 class, but as the 039A has very little resemblance to the 039 it is commonly referred to as the Type 041. The class is designed to replace the aging Type 033 (Romeo class) and the older Type 035 submarines that previously formed the backbone of the conventional submarine force.

According to an early assessment by the US Naval Institute, the Yuan class was primarily designed as "an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) platform capable of hiding submerged for long periods of time in difficult to access shallow littorals."[7] However, another assessment by USNI includes an open-ocean capability which can be used beyond coastal waters. Also updated was its role within China's naval fleet, and as of August 2015 it is considered to be a more traditional attack submarine, with a secondary ASCM role.

  1. ^ a b c Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 134
  2. ^ a b c "Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2018" (PDF). Office of the Secretary of Defense. 16 May 2018. p. 29. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Essay: Inside the Design of China's Yuan-class Submarine". 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Type 039A Yuan class – SinoDefence". Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ "解析中国海军新型041元级柴电攻击潜艇(组图)_新浪军事_新浪网". Mil.news.sina.com.cn. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  6. ^ Yaun class Archived 2018-11-24 at the Wayback Machine, globalsecurity.org
  7. ^ Carlson, USN (Retired), Capt. Christopher (31 August 2015). "Essay: Inside the Design of China's Yuan-class Submarine". USNI. US Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.