China Loses Nuclear Submarine while fitting out

[Albacore 569]

• China Loses Nuclear Submarine, First in New Line, Before Launch

China Loses Nuclear Submarine, First in New Line, Before Launch (newser.com)

Shipyard accident sets back navy's expansion, US officials say

By Bob Cronin, Newser Staff Posted Sep 26, 2024 5:30 PM CDT

A new type 094A Jin-class nuclear submarine Long March 11 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province in 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
China's plans to modernize its military and expand its navy hit a snag, US officials said, when its newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank at a shipyard when construction was nearly complete. The accident took place in late May or early June near Wuchan, the Wall Street Journal reports, and China tried to cover it up. The submarine could be seen in satellite photos alongside a pier on the Yangtze River in late May, when it was undergoing its final equipping before heading to sea. In early June, large floating cranes were brought in to salvage the submarine from the river bed, the photos show.

"Usually, those submarines, after they get launched, they're there at the shipyard for several months in outfitting," an expert told CNN. "And it wasn't there anymore." The vessel was the first of China's new Zhou-class line, US defense officials said. The new design includes a distinctive X-shaped stern to improve maneuverability underwater. US officials said they don't know if the sub had nuclear fuel aboard when it sank; other experts said it probably did.

The expansion is part of the military's attempt to shrink the US edge in undersea technology. The Congressional Research Service forecasts China will have 65 submarines next year and 80 in 2035 as it increases its construction capacity. That was before the new sub sank. The loss will hurt China's expansion efforts, said Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation, adding, "This is significant." (More Chinese military stories.)

[Das Boot]

I wonder how long it took for XI to order the naval yard workers to the firing squad wall?

[redboat219]

Are they doing these "accidents" by themselves or some foreign entity aka saboteur?

[Albacore 569]

Ship and Submarine fitting out periods after launching can be a most vulnerable time period for any ship or submarine. The transition in bureaucracy, shipyard and the vessels eventual owners, miscommunication, **** ups flooding and fires. The German Liner Europa caught fire while being completed. Europa was gutted and almost scrapped her but was decided to rebuild, completing her in 1930.

In May1969 a serious mishap n the USS Guitarro (SSN-665) at the pier side of the Mare Island NSY - probably the blackest day in what was this illustrious excellent shipyard's history. The sub went on to have a long good naval operational career despite its complicated birth.

In the China case, it may have been something similar?

USS Guitarro (SSN-665) - Wikipedia

[wlambing]

Guitarro is why we today have so many safety systems and procedures for use in shipyards and drydocks. We learned an awful lot from the Miami fire, too, that has been added into the casualty and firefighting repertoire.

[Albacore 569]

How do they let such human f*** ups into, much less work in such a important Navy yard? I worry about fires like the USS Miami and the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). In the East they celebrate the fall colors...lol, in California we don't do 'fall' well lol , it's more like only summer and winter, our fall colors are usually fire. :( Too many expensive Navy fires. During WW2 thanks considerably to the loss of the USS Lexington CV-2 in the Battle of the Coral Sea, casualty and firefighting learned from that in the US Navy was incredible in the ships later saved. That casualty training seems to have been all lost?

Guitarro is why we today have so many safety systems and procedures for use in shipyards and drydocks. We learned an awful lot from the Miami fire, too, that has been added into the casualty and firefighting repertoire.

USS Miami (SSN-755) - Wikipedia
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) - Wikipedia

[wlambing]

There again, Steve, many factors play into the casualty itself, and for Miami it's another case of "that guy should have never been hired in the first place"! Afterward, I was involved in helping develop plans to make the non-Navy firefighters more efficient onboard submarines.