China’s sail-less mini-sub a new menace for Taiwan

China’s unveiling of a sleek, sail-less mini-submarine signals a bold leap in stealth warfare. At the same time, it raises questions about the vessel’s value in a potential Taiwan blockade and whether sheer quantity can outweigh quality concerns in undersea combat.

This month, Naval News reported that China has just unveiled a new type of submarine spotted at the Guangzhou Shipyard, a facility unknown for submarine construction.

The vessel features a distinctive, ultra-modern design with large X-form rudders and no sail. This development, revealed through satellite imagery, underscores China’s ability to build submarines in secrecy, contrasting with the transparency of Western naval projects.

The submarine, approximately 45 meters long and 5 meters wide, differs from the Type 041 mini nuclear submarine and the “Olympic” mini-submarine.

Its design suggests it could be an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV), potentially the world’s largest, or a crewed vessel optimized for shallow water operations.

China is known to have built a sail-less mini-submarine in 2018, although that unit appears to be larger at an estimated 50 meters long and has no torpedo tubes, suggesting it may be a test prototype.

The absence of a sail, the presence of torpedo tubes and a possible towed sonar array indicate advanced stealth and combat capabilities.

Removing the traditional sail from a submarine minimizes its radar and sonar visibility. It also lowers its profile to reduce hydrodynamic drag, turbulence and noise while enhancing its speed and operational efficiency.

Further, using large X-form rudders boosts maneuverability, providing agility and stability for navigating complex underwater environments while supporting stealth.

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