Chinese Missile Submarines Remained Quiet in 2007

Twenty-five years after launching its first nuclear missile submarine, China has never deployed one on deterrent patrol, a U.S. nuclear weapons expert reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 1, 2006).

China has about 55 general-purpose submarines and only three designed to launch nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, according to a blog report by Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists (see GSN, March 2, 2007).

Last year, China conducted a total of six submarine patrols with its larger fleet, compared to the U.S. Navy deploying more than 100 patrols, Kristensen said.

The lack of patrols means that Chinese crews are receiving little real-world training, he said.

“The operational experience from the 55 patrols conducted by the entire submarine force between 1981 and the end of 2007 suggests that China's submarine force — at least for now — remains a coastal defense force,” Kristensen said (Federation of American Scientists release, Jan. 7).

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