China is reportedly developing a new nuclear powered submarine (Image: Getty)
nuclear-powered submarine thought to be under development threatens to “inflict real harm” on the US Navy and its Western allies, it has been warned.
The Type 041 Zhou class attack submarine was first discovered via commercial satellite imagery from Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan, China, in April last year.
The model reportedly sank five months later in a mysterious turn of events, resulting in a major setback to China’s naval forces. Now, experts are eagerly awaiting signs of its repair and have been speculating on its potential capabilities.
According to David Axe, an American military correspondent, the weapon could pose a huge threat to China’s adversaries.
He wrote in “If and when China attacks Taiwan and if the Americans intervene, a squadron of Type 041s, taking position days before the first shot was fired, could intercept US Navy battle groups steaming west to join the battle.”
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“Given the disruptive potential of the type, there’s every reason to expect the Chinese navy won’t let the apparent sinking of the first Type 041 deter it from eventually fielding nuclear-battery attack subs.
“Unless and until Chinese engineers can master other forms of air-independent propulsion, the nuke battery might be the technological key to developing a near-shore submarine force that can inflict real harm on the US and allied fleets.”
It comes amid fears Beijing could soon launch an invasion of Taiwan, the self-governed nation in the South Pacific, which China claims sovereignty over. US-China relations were significantly damaged over this key flashpoint under the Biden Administration.
While new US President has yet to clarify whether the US military would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, Mr Axe says China’s Type 041 could scupper a potential US intervention.
Currently, details about the new submarine remain scarce.
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China already has the world’s larest navy, with over 370 ships.
It is understood that Type 041 Zhou class attack is the first model in a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.
Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy submariner and an analyst at the Center for a New American Security told the : “If this ship eventually does get repaired, and I’m sure it will, it’ll be a far more capable submarine than what they were building before at that shipyard.”
However, he was skeptical about the ship’s likelihood of “significantly altering the really impressive upward trajectory of the PLA navy’s capability.”