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| Type 094 Jin class Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) |
By Shannon Tiezzi
A U.S. admiral told Congress that China now has more submarines than the U.S. — and is building still more.
China now has a larger submarine fleet than that United States, a U.S. admiral said on Wednesday. Speaking to the House Armed Service Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee (which oversees the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps), Vice Admiral Joseph Mulloy said that China is building some “fairly amazing submarines,” both diesel- and nuclear-powered. Mulloy is the deputy chief of naval operations for capabilities and resources.
According to Reuters, Mulloy told the subcommittee that China is “out experimenting and looking at operating and clearly want[s] to be in this world of advanced submarines.” He also noted that China is increasing the geographical area of deployment for its subs, as well as the length of time per deployment.
Last year, two Chinese submarines paid separate visits to Sri Lanka, the nuclear-powered, Han-class Changzheng-2 in November and the diesel-powered, 039 Song class submarine in September. At the time, foreign experts (particularly in India) expressed concern about the emergence of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean.
Read the full story at The Diplomat