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Ever since their foundation， China’s nuclear submarine forces， an elite part of their naval and military strength， have kept a low profile. However， the country’s first nuclearpowered submarine unit under the North China Sea Fleet recently opened its doors to the media. The first ever large-scale disclosure on training and technological advancements put the mystery unit under the spotlight.
The unit was set up in 1971， and later conducted China’s first launch of a carrier rocket from nuclear submarine with ballistic missilecarrying capabilities in 1988.
The success provided solid evidence of the domestically produced submarine’s functionality， which has made China the fifth country capable of a sea-borne nuclear launch—after the United States， the former Soviet Union， Britain and France.
Compared with its Western counterparts， China’s nuclear submarine forces do not have as many vessels. However， this has been compensated by extra efforts to refresh training formats and strategies， which have contributed to an increase in submarines’ operational and training hours and more efficient training of new submariners.
For the last 42 years， boats with China’s first nuclear submarine unit have traveled more than 1 million nautical miles altogether and completed several successful experiments， sea trials and military drills， with a clean safety record when it comes to the nuclear reactor.
Safe disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines is recognized as a delicate task worldwide. As early as 2000， the unit’s officers and sailors started to work on related procedures and have drafted a complete plan including steps for disposing of spent nuclear fuel and dismantling radioactive sections and equipment amongst other necessary measures. Over a relatively short period of time， they have mastered 12 key technologies and made China the second to successfully and safely decommission a nuclear submarine.
Yin Zhuo， a retired rear admiral of the Chinese navy， thinks that the timing of the disclosure on China’s nuclear submarine forces shows that their development has reached a certain stage and Chinese military forces are becoming more transparent and confident.“We are willing to establish mutual trust with all countries on the development of our defense forces and further increase our military transparency，” he said.
Yin added that the fact that China has disclosed its nuclear submarine forces indicated that more advanced boats have been manufactured and the development of an even newer generation is in the experimental stage according to how the Chinese military has revealed its arms in the past.
The unit was set up in 1971， and later conducted China’s first launch of a carrier rocket from nuclear submarine with ballistic missilecarrying capabilities in 1988.
The success provided solid evidence of the domestically produced submarine’s functionality， which has made China the fifth country capable of a sea-borne nuclear launch—after the United States， the former Soviet Union， Britain and France.
Compared with its Western counterparts， China’s nuclear submarine forces do not have as many vessels. However， this has been compensated by extra efforts to refresh training formats and strategies， which have contributed to an increase in submarines’ operational and training hours and more efficient training of new submariners.
For the last 42 years， boats with China’s first nuclear submarine unit have traveled more than 1 million nautical miles altogether and completed several successful experiments， sea trials and military drills， with a clean safety record when it comes to the nuclear reactor.
Safe disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines is recognized as a delicate task worldwide. As early as 2000， the unit’s officers and sailors started to work on related procedures and have drafted a complete plan including steps for disposing of spent nuclear fuel and dismantling radioactive sections and equipment amongst other necessary measures. Over a relatively short period of time， they have mastered 12 key technologies and made China the second to successfully and safely decommission a nuclear submarine.
Yin Zhuo， a retired rear admiral of the Chinese navy， thinks that the timing of the disclosure on China’s nuclear submarine forces shows that their development has reached a certain stage and Chinese military forces are becoming more transparent and confident.“We are willing to establish mutual trust with all countries on the development of our defense forces and further increase our military transparency，” he said.
Yin added that the fact that China has disclosed its nuclear submarine forces indicated that more advanced boats have been manufactured and the development of an even newer generation is in the experimental stage according to how the Chinese military has revealed its arms in the past.