The Type 092 (Chinese designation: 09-II;

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: Xia class) submarine is the first

nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabi ...

(SSBN) deployed by the People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force. ''Changzheng 6'' is the only boat of its class.

Background

The first and only confirmed submarine of its class, ''Changzheng 6'' (hull no.406), was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

in 1978 at

Huludao Huludao ( zh, s=葫芦岛 , t=葫蘆島 , p=Húludǎo), formerly known as Jinxi () until 1994, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning province, People's Republic of China. Its name literally means "Gourd Island", referring t ...

, northeast of Beijing, China. The Type 092 submarine was completed in 1981. She then spent six years being fitted out and conducting tests with its twelve JL-1 missiles, becoming active in 1987. Later, the submarine went through numerous upgrades in incremental steps, including using Type H/SQ2-262B

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...

manufactured by No. 613 Factory replacing the original Type 604 sonar on board. It reportedly suffered from limited missile range and high sound emissions. She was designed by Peng Shilu and Huang Xuhua, and derived from the Type 091 submarines, with an extended hull to accommodate twelve missile tubes. The 092 has undergone numerous refits, currently featuring a new black paint, possible quieting technologies, French-designed sonar, and the improved longer ranged JL-1A SLBM. Homeported in Jianggezhuang near

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

, it is reported that the 092 has never conducted strategic patrols outside Chinese regional waters. The sub undertook a single patrol and then never sailed again, staying pierside for so long there were rumors it had been lost in an accident in 1985. The boat was more of a test bed, allowing China to test new underwater technologies as it gradually placed more emphasis on naval forces in general. The 092 is aging however and a new nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Type 094, has been developed and deployed by the People's Liberation Army Navy. The U.S.

Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) specializing in military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense and the United States In ...

lists the 092 as being "not operational." While its capability is still being questioned, Xia made its worldwide debut on 23 April 2009 celebrating the 60th anniversary of the PLA Navy's founding. The submarine became operational in 1983, but faced enduring problems with reliability and radiation leakage from its onboard nuclear reactor. The submarine is also allegedly the noisiest of all U.S., Russian and Chinese

s, making it very easy to detect and track.

History

''Changzheng 6'' is based at Jianggezhuang Naval Base and is a member of the

North Sea Fleet The North Sea Fleet (NSF; ), concurrently the Northern Theater Command Navy (), is one of the three fleets of China's People's Liberation Army Navy. Headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong, the fleet provides naval forces to the Northern Theater Comma ...

References

External links

Federation of American Scientists: Type 92 Xia
{{SSBN classes in service, state=collapsed Submarine classes Ballistic missile submarines 1981 ships Nuclear-powered submarines Nuclear submarines of the Chinese Navy

Background

History

See also

References

External links