The Chinese Navy is moving toward an all-nuclear-powered submarine fleet, U.S. naval officials say, a monumental shift that will give ammunition to proponents of Japan developing its own nuclear subs ¡ª at least on the surface.
The U.S. Navy¡¯s intelligence chief, Rear Adm. Mike Brookes recently revealed during testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission that the Chinese Navy ¡°is executing a significant strategic shift from diesel-electric to all-nuclear construction, representing a fundamental departure from historical construction¡± of its submarines.
China¡¯s People¡¯s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) already has one of the world¡¯s largest submarine fleets, with more than 60 vessels, but this force is made up mostly of diesel-electric subs, with at least 14 nuclear-powered vessels, according to Brookes.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.