New Chinese sub seen in satellite pictures

WASHINGTON, July 6 (UPI) -- The Federation of American Scientists believes it has spotted the first commercial imagery of a new Chinese ballistic-missile-carrying nuclear submarine.

The Washington-based arms control advocacy group says the Google Earth satellite imagery captured in late 2006 shows what appears to be the new Jin-class Type 094 SSBN vessel moored at the Xiaopingdao submarine base. It compares it to imagery from 2005 of the smaller Type 092 SSBN, which the Jin is slated to replace. The Jin is about 35 feet longer with a larger missile compartment.

"Reports have circulated for several years that the sub had been launched (in 2004), that a test launch of its missile occurred in June 2005, and the (Defense Department) reported in May that the sub and its missile system (Julang-2) might become operational in the time period 2007-2010. But no image has ever been made available until now," FAS analyst Hans Kristensen told UPI.

Kristensen said the sub's location at the Xiaopingdao submarine base suggests that at the time of this image the sub was being fitted out and was not fully operational.

"Once it becomes operational, it will likely move down to the main Northern Fleet base at Jianggezhuang near Qingdao. An earlier satellite image from the same base (Xiaopingdao) taken in 2005 shows the Golf-class diesel electric sub at the same location where the Jin-class now is," he said.

Earlier this year FAS obtained a document from the Office of Naval Intelligence that states the U.S. Navy expects China to build a fleet of five Jin-class submarines as a nuclear deterrent. Because nuclear-armed submarines spend most of the time out of view and are difficult if not impossible to target, they are considered a deterrent against a massive attack designed to wipe out land-based nuclear weapons. With an active nuclear-armed submarine fleet, there would always be the potential for a devastating nuclear response.