Type 093-class (Shang)

The Type 093, NATO reporting name Shang class, is a family of nuclear-powered attack submarines operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy. It succeeded the Type 091 class. Development was delayed following the Cultural Revolution as the program was not prioritized under the Four Modernizations. Research into reactor designs and foreign developments continued through the 1980s, and support for the program resumed in 1994 following the Yinhe incident and maritime tensions. Russian experts reportedly contributed to the design. The first vessel was laid down in 1994 and entered service in 2006.

The initial Type 093 variant utilized a teardrop hull and a nine-meter wide pressure hull. These vessels employed a compound isolation system for acoustic dampening, with noise levels comparable to the Soviet Project 671. Between 2013 and 2015, the sail of one vessel was modified with a leading-edge fillet and rounded top to reduce drag. The Type 093A variant, four of which were commissioned between 2015 and 2018, features a lengthened sail and a stern tube for a towed array sonar. A hump located behind the sail houses towed array handling equipment. These boats incorporated Russian-derived acoustic technology, including anechoic tiles and pneumatic isolation mounts.

The Type 093B variant, NATO reporting name Shang III, is a substantially improved boat with a pump-jet propulsor, a slightly lengthened hull of about 110 meters, and a 24-cell vertical launching system confirmed by the US Office of Naval Intelligence in March 2026. The United States classifies the Type 093B as a cruise-missile submarine. Improvements in Chinese precision manufacturing may give the boat noise levels comparable to early Soviet fourth-generation designs.

The class is constructed at the Bohai Shipyard in Huludao, which has undergone major expansion since 2014. Production has accelerated sharply: the first Type 093B was launched in 2022, and by early 2026 the US Office of Naval Intelligence assessed six to eight Type 093B boats in service alongside the two Type 093 and four Type 093A, for a total of 12 to 14 active submarines. Two further Type 093B hulls were launched in the first half of 2026, completing a second production batch and putting the family on track to reach 14 attack submarines. In August 2023, reports by Lude Media claimed a Type 093 was lost in the Taiwan Strait. The report was declared unsubstantiated by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense and denied by the Chinese government.