China Is Building The World's Largest Nuclear Submarine Facility

[SageRock]

Posted for fair use and discussion.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-0...arine-facility

by Tyler Durden
Apr 21, 2017 11:14 AM

Perhaps it is time to shift attention away from the "rally around the flag" diversion that is North Korea and pay some attention to China, which delighted by the ongoing geopolitical distractions is currently building the world's largest submarine facility, which will be able to produce as many as four ultramodern nuclear submarines at a time.

Starting later this year, China's new submarine factory on the Yellow Sea will churn out nuclear-powered attack submarines (or SSNs) ensuring that the sub program of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will soon be a deadly global force. Once fully operational, the assembly line will enable China to at least match USN SSN production.

Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industrial Corporation (BSHIC) is putting the finishing touches on its new facility, which as profiled by Popsci, will start production this year. BSHIC, based in Huludao, Liaoning Province, is China's only builder of nuclear submarines. It previously built the Type 091, 093 nuclear attack submarines (SSN) and Type 092 and 094 nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).

When this enclosed submarine factory begins operation later this year, the BSHIC will be able to quickly build nuclear submarines.

Why is this building such a big deal? Simple: inside a superstructure, submarines are hidden from snoops, spies, and satellites. It also provides a controlled environment for development and construction.

According to Popsci, the massive new assembly hall, which measures more than 430,000 square feet, has enough room for two parallel production lines; each production line has one half dedicated to assembling and attaching together submarine modules, and the other half dedicated to finishing the hull with quieting measures like anechoic tiles. That's enough space for four SSN's to be built simultaneously (two sets of modules being assembled at one end, and another pair of assembled hulls being fitted out before launch). Once completed, the SSN is rolled off the line and into the ocean. The assembly hall can also handle construction of the next generation SSBN, the Type 096.

The module assembly hall is well equipped, with gantry cranes for lifting SSN modules in position and parallel rails for moving completed hull sections further down the assembly line.

The facility is reported to begin construction on the first Type 095 SSN later this year. The Type 095 is expected to have a single/hybrid pressure hull, pumpjet propulsion and vertical launch system cells, making it (at least) superior to older SSNs like the U.S.'s Los Angeles III and Russia's Akula II.

The Type 095 SSN, shown in this rendering, will likely have VLS cells for launching a wide range of cruise missiles, plus pumpjet propulsion and improved quieting technology. The first Type 095 will likely begin production in late 2017 at the new BSHIC factory, with many more to follow in the 2020s.

[China Connection]

When all the buttons get pressed during the next year there will be no targets left for these new subs.

[Terriannie]

Very impressive and dangerously so!!!

It'll be GREAT to go with the new aircraft carrier they're planning if this email I got is right:

The following comment from an American Observer who viewed the illustrations above;


“This is a quantum leap above anything we have on the drawing board. They have thought "outside the box" on this one. Better speed, larger capacity, much more stable, etc. Definitely a "blue-water" long reach vessel. Plus they can service their nuke sub fleet in-between the twin hulls (sight unseen) or even launch amphibious ops from same. It will be launched in half the time it takes the USA at just one-third the cost. Add the new Chinese stealth fighter bomber (naval version already flight-testing) in the mix and you have the makings of a formidable weapons system indeed. Also look at that extra ''parking and readiness'' station between both hull structures. And of course the launching and landing capabilities from the utilization of twin flight decks at once.

Six of these vessels (two pacific, two Atlantic, one Indian ocean and one on the Mediterranean sea ) would be a pretty good diplomatic "big stick." Note: the Chinese are already drilling for oil off Cuba, Brazil andVenezuela. Can they build a fleet of these things?

A few facts: the Chinese have completed the world's biggest dam (three gorges), the world's longest over-water bridge (65 times as much steel as in the Eiffel tower), constructed a 15,000 ft. High railroad into Tibet(all considered major engineering feats).

China is the only nation other than Russia that can launch men into outer space. They have also shot down a surveillance satellite (one of their own) from the ground. Plus, they "own our arses" in the international debt game.

China 's new carrier could be twice as fast as anything we have, plus the stability of a catamaran type hull will greatly reduce the pitching, yawing and swaying common to our present designs.


Still want to say: "Junk made in China?"