Type 094 Jin Class Nuclear-Powered Missile Submarine

Last updated: 5 May 2008

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The Type 094 (also referred to as Type 09-IV, NATO reporting name: Jin class) is the PLA Navy’s second-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), intended to replace the Type 092 (Xia class) SSBN of a single hull commissioned in 1983. The Type 094 was designed by CSIC’s Wuhan 2nd Ship Design Institute (also known as 719 Institute) in Wuhan, Hubei Province and built by CSIC’s Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (previously known as Bohai Shipyard) in Huludao, Liaoning Province.

Construction of the first-of-class submarine began in 1999 and the submarine was launched in July 2004. A second hull was launched possibly in 2007. The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) predicted in December 2006 that the PRC will need to build a total of five Type 094 SSBNs in order to maintain a near-continuous at-sea SSBN presence, with at least one boat available and ready for missile launch at all times.

The Type 094 SSBN bears many similarity with the Type 093 (Shang class) nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), suggesting that the two submarines were based on the same design baseline. The dive displacement was estimated to be 8,000~9,000 tonnes. The Type 094 is expected to be quieter than the Type 092 SSBN, with improved reliability and sensors. The development of the Type 093 and Type 094 has been reportedly assisted by Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering in St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s primary nuclear submarine designer.

Twelve missile silos are located behind the sail in two rows of six under the raised deck. The submarine will be equipped with the JL-2 (Julang-2, NATO reporting name: CSS-NX-4) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), a derivative of the land-based DF-31 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The missile was said to have a maximum range of 8,000km, and has the multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) capability with up to three nuclear warheads. However, it is understood that the JL-2 remains in development. The programme is reported to have been delayed due to an unsuccessful test in mid-2004.

Satellite images have captured the two Type 094 SSBNs docked at the Bohai Shipyard, and one of the submarines was also spotted inside the PLA Navy’s only known nuclear submarine base at Xiaopingdao, Liaoning Province. In April 2008, Federation of American Scientists (FAS) website revealed that a Type 094 SSBN has been deployed to a newly-built nuclear submarine base near Sanyang City on the southern Hainan Island.

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