(CNN) –– China’s newest nuclear submarine sank at the dock in the spring, but the Chinese Navy tried to cover up the loss, according to two U.S. defense officials.
The attack submarine was the first in its new line of Zhou-class vessels, the official said, which are being built at a shipyard near the city of Wuhan. Zhou-class submarines have a distinctive X-shaped stern, designed to improve underwater maneuverability.
A satellite image from March 10, taken by Maxar Technologies, shows the Zhou-class submarine, with its characteristic X-shaped tail, docked in the port. Additional images from Maxar reviewed by CNN in late June show that the submarine did not return to dock.
“It is not surprising that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA) is trying to hide the fact that its new nuclear-powered attack submarine, the first of its kind, sank in dock,” the senior US defense official said. .
The unusual activity at the shipyard was first noticed by Tom Shugart, a research associate at the Center for a New American Security, who routinely studies satellite images of Chinese shipyards.
“I’ve never seen a bunch of cranes grouped together in one place,” Shugart told CNN. “If you look at historical images, you can see a crane, but not a bunch of them bunched up there.” Looking at older satellite images of the same shipyard, Shugart also noted the submarine’s increased size and distinctive tail, indicating a new class of submarine.
“Usually, these submarines, after being launched, remain in the shipyard for several months to be equipped. But they weren’t there anymore,” Shugart said.
Beijing has made modernizing the PLA Navy and its submarine force one of its top priorities in its effort to build a world-class military that rivals that of the United States. According to China’s latest military power report of 2023, the PLA Navy operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines.
The United States Navy has 53 fast attack submarines, 14 ballistic missile submarines and four guided missile submarines. The entire US submarine fleet is powered by nuclear propulsion.
The senior defense official said it is unclear whether nuclear fuel had already been loaded onto the submarine or if the ship was out of fuel when it sank.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report about the sinking of the submarine.
CNN has asked the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment.
China is also working to expand its capacity to produce new submarines. Although the PLA Navy is retiring older submarines, China is expected to have 65 submarines in 2025 and 80 in 2035 due to the growth of its submarine construction capacity, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). English).
China has the largest Navy in the world in terms of number of ships. The PLA Navy has 370 platforms, including 234 warships, according to the CRS, while the United States has 219 warships. The United States has identified China as its long-term “pace challenge.”
In an attack on the Chinese industrial base, the defense official said: “The incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s internal accountability and oversight of China’s defense industry, which has long been plagued by corruption.”
