Type 039A Class (Yuan Class) Chinese Diesel-Electric Submarine

The Type 039A submarine (NATO reporting name: Yuan class) is a class of diesel-electric submarine in China's People's Liberation Army Navy. It is China's first AIP-powered submarine and is presumed to be one of the quietest diesel-electric submarine classes in service. This class is the successor of the Type 039 submarine. The official Chinese designation is 039A as the ship is based on the 039 class, but as the 039A has very little resemblance to the 039 it is commonly referred to as the Type 041. The class is designed to replace the aging Type 033 Romeo and the older Type 035 submarines that previously formed the backbone of the conventional submarine force. According to an early assessment by the US Naval Institute, the Yuan class was primarily designed as "an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) platform capable of hiding submerged for long periods of time in difficult to access shallow littorals. However, another assessment by USNI includes an open-ocean capability that can be used beyond coastal waters. Also updated was its role within China's naval fleet, and as of August 2015, it is considered to be a more traditional attack submarine, with a secondary ASCM role. The Type 039A inherits the tail design of Type 039 (NATO codename: Song class) with four diving planes and a single large shaft. A pair of foreplanes are positioned in the middle of the sail. The submarine is equipped with an indigenously developed cabin-raft (shock absorbers) system that helped to reduce the noise levels by over 35 dB. Additionally, the submarine is covered with rubber anti-sonar protection tiles to reduce the risk of detection. A new improved "C" variant was also launched.