Summary and What You Need to Know: Russia and China are conducting joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan as part of the Ocean-2024 exercises, signaling closer military cooperation. Of particular concern is the technology-sharing partnership between the two nations, with Moscow increasingly relying on China for dual-use goods in exchange for advanced military technology.

-Russia is aiding China's development of its Type 096 nuclear ballistic missile submarines, providing expertise to enhance propulsion systems for greater stealth.

-This growing collaboration could significantly boost China’s military capabilities, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where the stealthier Type 096 submarines could challenge U.S. naval dominance.

China's New Stealth Submarines Developed with Russian Technology, U.S. Concerns Rise

The Russian Navy and Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) are carrying out drills this week in the Sea of Japan as part of the Kremlin's Ocean-2024 exercises.

"Ships from Russia's Pacific Fleet and China’s PLA Navy, acting as part of a joint detachment, practiced various defense strategies while moving through operational zones in the central part of the Sea of Japan," Russian state media outlet Tass reported on Thursday.

It is the latest sign of increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing, and while warships from the Russian and Chinese navies training together should be seen as worrisome enough, there are far bigger concerns. It appears that the two near-peer adversaries of the United States are engaged in renewed technology sharing, and arguably the most significant military partnership of its kind since the Cold War.

The Financial Times reported earlier this week that Moscow has been "increasingly dependent on China for access to dual-use goods needed to produce weapons for deployment in Ukraine and to refurbish its military-industrial production facilities."

The Kremlin has paid it back in kind, aiding China in the development of "a missile defense early-warning system," but even more ominously with the PLAN's submarine fleet – an area where Moscow has much experience and to which Beijing has struggled.

"China's new Type 096 nuclear ballistic missile submarine was also developed with support from Russian technology to make its propulsion system more silent, according to US naval researchers," The Financial Times further reported. "Until relatively recently, Russia had resisted sharing advanced submarine technology with China."

The significance of this burgeoning technology transfer can't be overstated.

As noted by Harrison Kass for The National Interest, "To compensate China for the assistance, Russia is offering sensitive military technologies, including information relating to submarine operations, stealth aircraft, and missile design. The U.S., of course, is especially concerned with any expansion of Chinese military capabilities. China is a rising power that has increasingly asserted itself throughout the Indo-Pacific. Expansion of the Chinese military in recent decades has boosted both quantity and quality. An infusion of Russian military assistance could help the Chinese take further steps in improving its military."

The Type 096 – What We Know

The capabilities of the Type 096 are speculated to be a significant jump over its predecessors and are seen as having the potential to flip the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. The new submarines could be in service by the end of the decade – earlier perhaps than the United States Navy's own Columbia-class SSBN, as the lead boat of that class is expected to begin operations in 2031.

"The Type 096 will be more numerous, more stealthy, and may range over a wider area, all of which necessitates a rethink of U.S. capabilities and their deployment," Emma Salisbury, an associate fellow at the U.K.-based Council on Geostrategy, told Newsweek last October.

The combination of stealth and range could make it that much harder for the U.S. and its allies to keep track of the Chinese submarines. Though the exact technology employed on the submarines remains unknown, we should expect the components to be stamped "Made in Russia."

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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