China Reveals New Stealthy Conventional Submarine

Chinese media on Monday revealed a new conventional submarine believed to be that of the Type 039 with improvements that include stealth features.

The submarine is believed to be an improvement over the Type 039A and 039B; local media predicted this could be a Type039C submarine because of its unique angled sail.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy posted details of the submarine on their official WeChat account. The report introduced new upgrades in sailors' canteen services. One of the photos attached to the report particularly attracted military observers - in the background of the photo was a large screen showing a docked submarine, with sailors lining up on the submarine's back in what seems to be a ceremony of some sort, the Global Times reported.

This is the first time the PLA Navy has revealed this type of conventionally powered submarine in commission, Shanghai-based news website eastday.com reported on Monday.

In 2021, foreign media including Naval News and The Drive reported on a new submarine when it underwent tests after launch. These reports speculated that the angled sail design could reduce the radar cross-section and make the submarine stealthier above water, provide hydrodynamic advantages and house new systems.

With the new submarine, China became the second country in the world to develop a submarine with an angled sail design after Sweden's A26-class submarine.

But the first A26 just had its keel laying ceremony a few weeks ago, meaning it still has a long way to go before commissioning, while the Chinese submarine has seemingly already entered service, the eastday.com report said.

Although the two submarines both use angled sail designs, the details are very different. China's shipbuilding industry has made fast strides and is fully capable of making independent, innovative designs, an expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.