Nuclear submarine sunk?: US detects backlash for China's navy

American broadcaster CNN and the “Wall Street Journal” (“WSJ”) reported on the incident in the spring. The submarine sank off the port in May or June, a senior US Defense Department official said on Friday.

It is not clear what caused the submarine to sink or whether it was carrying nuclear fuel. A setback acknowledged, structural issues suspected: The incident raises several questions, including the quality of equipment, the Chinese military's accountability and oversight of the corruption-plagued region, a senior Pentagon official was quoted as saying. “WSJ”.

Satellite images should show what happened

The photos are also intended to document this process: a submarine was spotted on Maxar satellite images of a ship in the Yangtze River at the end of May, “WSJ” reported, citing US government officials. Towards the end of June, floating cranes suddenly sighted and recovered the sunken submarine from the river bank.

It said the submarine was the first of a new class of nuclear-powered submarines and was clearly visible in satellite images due to its distinctive x-shaped stern. Chinese officials have yet to comment on the incident. Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Beijing, said he had no knowledge of the matter when asked by reporters.

“There was never a collection of cranes at this point.”

Not surprisingly, the Chinese navy is trying to keep the matter under wraps, the WSJ and CNN quoted a senior US defense official as saying. An unusual activity at the shipyard was first discovered by Tom Shugard of the New American Defense Center – who regularly analyzes satellite images of Chinese shipyards.

“I've never seen a collection of cranes in this place,” Shugart was quoted as saying by CNN. “In historical images you can see one crane, but not a cluster of cranes. Comparing satellite images from the same shipyard, Shugart noticed the size of the submarine and its distinctive stern, which points to a new submarine class.

China's projects have slowed down.

The incident was a bitter setback for the People's Republic, which has made expanding its armed forces and submarines one of its highest priorities, the WSJ said. The submarine was recovered, but it would be months before it could depart. Therefore, China's nuclear submarine expansion has slowed, US expert Brent Sadler, a former nuclear submarine officer, was quoted as saying.

Beijing has made modernizing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its submarine force one of its top priorities to build a world-class military on par with the United States.

According to a recent Pentagon report on China's military power in 2023, the Chinese Navy operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines. The US expects this fleet to grow to 65 submarines by 2025 and 80 by 2035.