The Chinese BBS/forums are buzzing with the latest submarine launch -- it could be the first of a new class.
Here is Hui Tong's update.
http://cnair.top81.cn/han_xia_kilo_song.htm#Yuan
The latest news indicated the first boat of a further improved design (Type 039B?) was just launched at Wuhan Shipyard on September 9, 2010. This improved design has been speculated to feature a new sonar system, a new surveillance system (periscope, radar etc.), and a new weapon system (possibly vertically launched long-range AshM from its extended sail?).
4 comments:
There is and ugly step near where the upper casing joins the bows, where in the older model boats, it was a smooth transition.
The best way to confirm the enlarged sail would be a side-by-side comparison with an older model boat.
Perhaps this is the beginning of mass production for the Yuan class.
> Perhaps this is the beginning of mass production for the Yuan class
That is my impression as well.
I have been looking closely at picture number 1 and picture number 3.
They don't seem to be of the same submarine.
In the 1st picture there appears to be a rather standard-looking Yuan albeit with the lower portion of the hull blurred out.
I suspect this may have been done to remove the details of the hull-mounted sonar arrays.
The sail looks like that of its predecessors' as does that portion of the casing that is clearly visible.
In the 3rd picture, the sail of this submarine is very long, and does not seem to carry the same pair of hydroplanes as does the sub on pic number 1.
Also the forward part of the the upper casing carries slots for the forward-mounted hydroplanes to retract into - ala' Kilo.
While in previous pictures of the Yuan, the designers were careful to blend the forward part of the hull cleanly into the upper casing making for a smooth transition with less turbulence, drag and noise, in the 3rd picture there is the ugly step.
Is it possible these are not pictures of the same submarine?
click on the first photo in this post
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