China’s newest nuclear attack submarine has sunk in a shipyard accident, in a setback to the country’s attempts to overtake the United States in a naval arms race, according to US officials.
The sinking of the first of a new Zhou-class of nuclear-powered submarines triggered a scramble for Beijing to cover up the incident, officials told The Wall Street Journal.
The newly built vessel, which features a distinctive X-shaped stern, was sighted on satellite images alongside a pier at Wuchang Shipyard as it was being equipped for sea in late May.
It is claimed to have sunk later that month or in early June. Suspicion was said to have been raised when floating cranes were seen at the site soon afterwards.
Brent Sadler, a former submarine officer at Washington’s Heritage Foundation think tank, said: “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. This is significant.”
Undersea warfare has become a Chinese priority in its arms race with the US as tensions rise in the Pacific.
Submarines would probably play a key role in any future conflict over Taiwan, with a Chinese fleet potentially attempting to invade, while blockading the US from arming and supplying the island.
Submarine warfare has traditionally been an area of significant US supremacy, but China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) navy has been closing the gap.
A senior US defence official told The Wall Street Journal: “It’s not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pierside.
“In addition to the obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s internal accountability and oversight of China’s defence industry, which has long been plagued by corruption.”
The submarine is thought to have been salvaged from the site, but experts said that it will require a huge refit to make it seaworthy.
Thomas Shugart, a senior fellow at the Centre for a New American Security, said: “Can you imagine a US nuclear submarine sinking in San Diego and the government hushes it up and doesn’t tell anybody about it? I mean, holy cow.”
He continued: “The whole boat would be full of water.
“You’d have to clean out all the electronics. The electric motors may need to be replaced. It would be a lot of work.”
US officials said that it was not clear if anyone had died during the sinking and it was also not clear if the vessel had been carrying nuclear fuel at the time.
They had not detected any indication that Chinese officials had sampled the water or nearby environment for radiation, the officials added.
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