ONI released report "The PLA Navy New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century"

By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer. Popular Science

Type 094 Jin

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The Type 094 SSBN can carry up to 12 intercontinental ranged ICBMs; each JL-2 missile could potentially carry 3-6 nuclear warheads. China currently has four of these nuclear submarines in service, with deterrence patrols to start soon.

In April 2015, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), the U.S. Navy's intelligence arm, released its latest report on the PLAN, titled "The PLA Navy New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century". In it, ONI identified several key PLAN trends of concern to the US military, including the development of new anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems with additional power projection capabilities, and increases in PLAN training and global deployment. 

 

Kunming

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The first 052D destroyer, the 7,500 ton Kunming, was launched in late 2013 and commissioned in March 2014 (its hull number, 172, was not painted on then).

In the six years since the last 2009 ONI report, the PLAN is stated to have made substantive improvements in technical capability and operational experience. One of the most notable is the Type 052D destroyer and HHQ-9B and YJ-18 missile combination. First commissioned in 2014, the Type 052D Luyang III guided missile destroyers (DDG) is China's most capable air defense and multirole destroyer, equaling the AEGIS combat system in some regards. One such Luyang III DDG is seen here at dockside, loading an HHQ-9B canister into one of its forward vertical launch system (VLS) cells. The PLA Navy is looking to build up to 12 Luyang IIIs before transitioning on to the bigger Type 055 cruiser.

HHQ-9B

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The Type 052D destroyer class can carry 64 vertically launched missiles, including the 150km ranged HHQ-9B air defense missile, which is loaded into a firing cell at port.

The HHQ-9B is a variant of the long range surface to air missile (SAM) HQ-9 family, of which beat American, European and Russian competitors to win a Turkish air defense contract in 2013. The Office of Naval Intelligence states that the HHQ-9B has a range of 150km, beating out the older 90km ranged HHQ-9 to make it China's longest ranged naval SAM. The Luyang III DDGs, in addition to its 64 versatile VLS that carry a mixture of SAMs and cruise missiles, has four powerful Type 346 active array radars that can detect stealth and conventional aircraft up to 500km away.

Type 094 SSBN

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The Type 094 SSBN carries China's nuclear missiles to hide underwater, four have currently been built. The future four Type 094 could be modified to be stealthier and carry longer ranged missiles that could hit the continental U.S.

ONI also stated that China has four Type 094 Jin class nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Displacing about 9,000 tons submerged, each Type 094 SSBN carries 12 8,000km ranged JL-2 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The JL-2 SLBM does not have the range to hit the continental U.S. inside protected Chinese territorial waters, but the future four Type 094 SSBNs are expected to carry the 12,000km-15,000km range JL03 SLBM, which can reach anywhere in the world from Chinese waters.

360 Radars

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The 7 radars include a X/UHF AMTI Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on the front, two X/UHF AMTI/SAR/GMTI AESA radars on the twin booms, two X/UHF AMTI AESA radars on either side of the engine nozzles, and two more radars on the end of the booms. AMTI and GMTI radars are used for tracking air and surface targets, respectively, while SAR is used to provide detailed imagines of ground targets like bases and infrastructure.

Haiyan UUV

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The Haiyan UUV is an underwater glider, which can dive under 1,500m below the ocean surface, for up to 30 days. These 70kg drones (or future militarized versions) could be deployed enmass by Y-8Qs to provide a quick but long-term sensor solution, in areas like the Taiwan Straits, against enemy submarines during war time.

In six years' time, the 2021 ONI report on the PLAN could feature the continuation of current trends, such as the launch of another Chinese aircraft carrier, more quite submarines and larger warships. Additionally, the PLAN of the early 2020s is likely to be testing stealthy drones, underwater robotic swarms, lasers and rail guns.