Summary and Key Points: China’s ambitious nuclear-powered submarine program suffered a major setback earlier this year when a new Zhou-class submarine sank near a shipyard in Wuhan.

-The submarine, featuring an advanced X-shape stern for improved maneuverability, reportedly sank in late May or early June, according to satellite images and sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.

-Chinese officials have tried to cover up the incident, which is likely to delay Beijing’s plans to expand its nuclear submarine fleet.

-It remains unclear if nuclear fuel was involved, but the accident may have resulted in personnel casualties. This marks a significant blow to China’s naval modernization efforts.

China's Newest Nuclear-power Submarine Sank Earlier This Year During Construction

China's People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been undergoing a massive expansion effort in recent years, including the construction of two domestically-built aircraft carriers. In addition, Beijing has sought to build more advanced submarines, including nuclear-powered boats. However, earlier this year, the PLAN may have faced a noble setback when one of the newest cubs sank near the shipyard in Wuhan.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Chinese officials attempted to "cover up" the incident, which the paper record stated occurred "in late May or early June." Beijing had sought to cover up the loss of the nuclear-powered vessel.

No one from the Chinese embassy responded to the Journal's request for comment.

What Is Known

According to the report, the nuclear-powered submarine is believed to be the lead boat of the Zhou-class, which was notable for featuring "a distinctive X-shape stern, which was designed to make the vessel more maneuverable." The submarine was under construction at the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp.'s facilities on the Yangtze River and was being fitted out before beginning sea trials.

The submarine seemed to sink, but the cause remains unknown – and likely wouldn't have been noted, but as The Wall Street Journal further reported, citing satellite photos, that "large floating cranes arrived in early June to salvage the sub from the river bed."

It remains unclear if the submarine was carrying nuclear fuel, but experts told the paper of record that it was likely, and it is also "possible" that Chinese personnel were "killed or injured" during the accident. While Beijing hasn't acknowledged the incident, if confirmed, it would be a major setback for its submarine program.

"The sinking of a new nuclear sub that was produced at a new yard will slow China's plans to grow its nuclear submarine fleet," Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank, and a retired U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer told the Journal. "This is significant."

A New Class of Chinese Submarine

Details about the "Zhou-class" are scarce – but it was in late July that Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank and retired U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer, first noted that that a new type of submarine was being constructed.

"I recently acquired this interesting image of the shipyard from 26 April 2024. On the left, you can see what appears to be a freshly-launched Hangor II-class submarine, the 1st of 8 being built for Pakistan. You can also see the other, possibly new class of boat," Shugart wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

In a follow-up post, Shugart also highlighted that "The new boat appears substantially longer, and looking at multiple images of it, [it] also appears to have an X-stern, a feature not seen before on any Chinese submarine."

As reported by Stavros Atlamozoglou for The National Interest, "An X-stern refers to the configuration of the rudder of the submarine from the traditional cross-shaped design to an 'X' one. Among other things, the X-stern design offers better maneuverability and a reduced noise signature, both important traits for the survival and effectiveness of a submarine at war."

What is also notable is that The War Zone reported that the image acquired by Shugart and posted online was dated April 26, 2024 – at least a month before the submarine accident. The location matches the images shared by the WSJ.

Shugart has since posted to X, "A new-construction PRC submarine sank at the pier in Wuhan - the boat was first of a new class, the Type 041 Zhou - PRC authorities scrambled to cover it up.

This is a developing story.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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