 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Type 039 submarine" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Type 039 submarine | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Song class |
| Builders |
|
| Operators |  People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Preceded by | Type 035 submarine |
| Succeeded by | Type 039A submarine |
| In commission | 1998-present |
| Planned | 13 |
| Completed | 13 |
| Active | 13 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | SSK |
| Displacement | 2,250 tonnes (submerged) |
| Length | 74.9 m |
| Beam | 8.4 m |
| Draft | 5.3 m |
| Propulsion | diesel-electric, 1 shaft |
| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h) |
| Test depth | 300 m |
| Complement | 60 |
| Armament |
|
TheType 039 submarine (NATO reporting name:Song-class) is a class ofdiesel-electricsubmarines of thePeople's Liberation Army Navy.[1] The class is the first diesel-electric submarine to be made in China and also the first Chinese made diesel-electric submarine to use theteardrop hull shape. Altogether thirteen vessels were completed to the Type 039 design between 1999 and 2006, with three variants as the type developed.
The submarines resemble the Russian Kilo class submarines which China operates.[2] The submarine uses a modern teardrop-shape hull for underwater performance. The hull incorporates four rudders and is propelled by a single propeller. The engine is imported fromGermany.[3] For quieter operation, the engine was mounted with shock absorbers and the hull is plated in rubber tiles for sound deadening. Development was not without problems, as a lengthy testing period for the first vessel (320) attests. Problems with noise levels and underwater performance led to revisions in the design and only a single boat was ever built to the original specification.
Improvements led to the specification for theType 039G, which became the bulk of production, with five of the type entering service, followed by seven of a slightly improved. Elimination of the stepped design for the conning tower is the primary visual cue for identification of the G variant.
This class has three versions: the originalType 039 (only the prototype, commissioned 1999, and bearing the hull numberChangcheng 320;Type 039G (five vessels commissioned 2001 to 2004, bearing the hull numbersChangcheng 321 toChangcheng 325); and the improvedType 039G1 (three vessels commissioned 2003 to 2005, bearing the hull numbersChangcheng 314 toChangcheng 316, and four vessels commissioned 2006, bearing the hull numbersChangcheng 326 toChangcheng 329). Hull numbers 315, 316, 320 to 323, 327 and 328 are active with the North Sea Fleet, 324, 325 and 314 with the East Sea Fleet, and 326 and 329 with the South Sea Fleet.[4]
The most obvious visual difference between the first two variants is the conning tower. TheType 039's conning tower is stepped, rising aft. In an effort to shrink the submarine's acoustic signature, theType 039G's conning tower was given a more conventional shape without any step.
Primary weapon for the Type 039 is the 533 mmYu-4 torpedo, a locally produced passive homing 40-knot (74 km/h) torpedo based on theSAET-50 and roughly comparable to theSAET-60. Surface targets may be attacked at up to 15 km. Yu-6 wire-guided torpedoes may also be used for targeting submarines. It is also likely that theType 039 is capable of carrying theYJ-8 missile, acruise missile which can be launched from the same tube as the boat's torpedoes, andcan target surface vessels at up to 80 km. The missile is subsonic and carries a 165 kg warhead. For mining operations, in place of torpedoes, the submarine can carry 24 to 36naval mines, deliverable through the torpedo tubes. The general designer of the torpedo and missile launching system is Mr. Sun Zhuguo (孙柱国, 1937-), and the launching system is compatible with AShM, ASW, torpedoes of both China and Russian/Soviet origin.
AlthoughType 039 has successfully test fired theCY-1 ASW Missile under water like theYuan-classsubmarine, the status of the missile is in question because nothing is heard about it entering mass production. The CY-1 ASW missile has a maximum range of 18 km (10 nm).
The main sensor is the medium-frequencysonar mounted in the bow of the submarine, with passive and active modes, which is used for both search and attack. In addition, the system offers a method of underwater communications, and also functions as a torpedo approach warning system. This sonar is the Chinese development of FrenchThomson-CSFTSM-2233 sonar, and is capable of simultaneously tracking 4 to 12 targets depending on the function it is used for. To enhance passive search capabilities, a low frequency sonar of FrenchThomson-CSFTSM-2255 design is mounted on the flanks of the hull, with a maximum range in excess of 30 km and capable of simultaneously tracking four targets. The system is further enhanced with the integration of a domestic Chinese passive ranging sonar on board, designated asH/SQG-04 sonar. For surface search, a small I-band radar is fitted.
This class is the first Chinese submarine to be fitted with an integratedelectronic support measures /radio direction finder /radar warning receiver system designated asSRW209 Submarine Radar Reconnaissance Equipment, which works at S - Ku bands with 100% detection rate. TheSRW209 is fully automatic and can be either operated by a single operator with a console with a color CRT (which can be replaced by LCD) display console, or linked to the combat data system, which is capable of tracking multiple targets.
Royal Thai Navy - China offered the 039 submarine for sale to Thailand in 2007. However, the Royal Thai Navy lacks the infrastructure to support submarine this time.[6] Thailand later ordered S26T submarine, an export version of theType 039A .