China unveils Type 096 Tang-Class ballistic missile submarine on January 14

Key facts

• China has unveiled the most significant upgrade to its undersea nuclear capability with the unveiling of the Type 096 Tang-Class ballistic missile submarine on January 14.
• The Type 096 has a submerged displacement estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes, placing it squarely in the strategic category of the United States (US) Navy’s Ohio-class and upcoming Columbia-class submarines.
• The submarine is expected to carry up to 24 JL-3s, which reportedly have a 6,000-mile range, allowing it to target the US without leaving home waters.
• The vessel features a pressurised water-cooled nuclear reactor that drives the propulsion system via a steam turbine arrangement and a single shaft.
• The Type 096 is equipped with raft-mounted machinery, hull isolation systems, and quieter propeller technologies or pump-jet propulsion to minimise acoustic signatures.
• The submarine is armed with six 533 mm torpedo tubes capable of deploying wire-guided, high-speed Yu-6 torpedoes with a range of more than 18 miles and speeds up to 60 knots.
• Analysts have likened the Type 096 to Russia’s Borei-class submarines, suggesting that Russian technical support may have helped accelerate progress in vibration and noise control.