Type 035 Class (Ming Class) Chinese Diesel-Electric Submarine

The Type 035 submarine (NATO reporting name: Ming class) is a class of diesel-electric submarines of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Type 035 is a heavily improved redesign of the older Type 033 Romeo-class submarines, which were built in China from 1962 to 1984. In 1963, under the 1950 Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance, the Soviet Union passed to China the necessary design details in order to produce Romeo-class submarines. The Chinese variant became known as the Type 033 Romeo class, of which China built a total of 84 between 1962 and 1984. During the 1970s, China's ambition to create an indigenous submarine industry lead to the commissioning of Wuhan Ship Development and Design Institute (701 Institute) to design and build an improved submarine based on the Type 033 hull, named the Type 035 Ming class. Two Type 035 boats were completed by 1974. Further improvements were deemed necessary and by the early 1980s a new and improved design named the Type 035A Ming class was produced. The first of these improved "A" models entered service in 1982, with three more under construction. The latter three boats were completed and commissioned by 1990. The Type 035G Ming class is the most numerous variant. A total of 12 were built and commissioned between 1990 and 1999. They were built with further improvements, especially in terms of noise reduction, weapons, sensors, and crew living standards. The PLAN refers to this sub-class as, "new wine in an old bottle". Two boats of the Type 035A were upgraded to the same standard as the Type 035G. The most modern design variant is the Type 035B Ming class, which features a redesigned conning tower and portions of the hull, giving it a very similar appearance to the newer Type 039 submarines. Type 035B is capable of launching land-attack cruise missiles from their torpedo tubes. A total of four boats were commissioned between 2000 and 2003.