Google Earth spots Chinese sub
p2pnet news | security:- Google Earth seems to have pinpointed China’s new second-generation nuclear submarine, says nuclear weapons analyst Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists.
“The new class, known as the Jin-class or Type 094, is expected to replace the unsuccessful Xia-class (Type 092) of a single boat built in the early 1980s,” says Kristensen on the Strategic Security Blog.
“The new submarine was photographed by the commercial Quickbird satellite in late 2006 and the image is freely available on the Google Earth web site.
Says the post:
Two satellite images are now available … that clearly show two missile submarines with different dimensions. One image from 2005 shows what is believed to be the Xia-class (Type 092) SSBN in drydock at the Jianggezhuang Submarine Base approximately 14 miles east of Qingdao. The submarine is approximately 390 feet (120 meters) long of which the missile compartment makes up roughly 80 feet (25 meters). Twelve missile launch tubes are clearly visible.
The second image from late 2006 shows what appears to be the new Jin-class (Type 094) SSBN moored at the Xiaopingdao Submarine Base south of Dalian, approximately 193 miles north of Qingdao. The Jin-class appears to be approximately 35 feet (10 meters) longer than the Xia-class SSBN, primarily due to an extended mid-section of approximately 115 feet (35 meters) that houses the missile launch tubes and part of the reactor compartment.
No reaction from the Chinese government has so far been reported.
Also See:
Strategic Security Blog – New Chinese Ballistic Missile Submarine Spotted, July 5, 2007
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