Type 091 submarine

Class overview
A Type 091 submarine in 1993
Builders:	Bohai Shipyard, Huludao
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
Succeeded by:	Type 093
In service:	August 1974
Completed:	5
Active:	ChangZheng 2 ChangZheng 3 ChangZheng 4 ChangZheng 5
General characteristics
Class and type:	Han class
Displacement:	4,500-5,500 submerged^[1]
Length:	98 metres
Beam:	10 metres
Draft:	24.2 feet
Propulsion:	1 Nuclear Turbo Electric Engine - Pressurized Water Reactor
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h) submerged / 12 knots (22 km/h) surfaced
Range:	Unlimited
Complement:	75
Armament:	6 533 mm torpedo tubes SET-65E & Type 53-51 Torpedoes C-801 Anti-Ship Missiles Can also carry 36 Mines ^[2]

The 4,500/5,500-ton Type 091 (US Department of Defense designation Han-class, Chinese designation 09-I) was the first nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) class deployed by the People's Liberation Army Navy. The first Chief Designer of the submarine was an engineer and scientist of nuclear propulsion engineering Mr. Peng Shilu (彭士禄),^[3] then in 1983 succeeded by Mr. Huang Xuhua (黄旭华). The first submarine in the class was commissioned in 1974^[4] and the fifth and final boat of the class was commissioned in 1990. The Han-Class is the among the first generation of nuclear-powered submarines in the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The Han-Class were developed with a backdrop of factional violence and witch-hunts for enemy agents. The Han-Class is well known for having a noisy reactor and poor radiation shielding. This causes health hazards for her crew as nuclear radiation levels are higher than they should be aboard the submarine. The submarine is also inhibited by an inability to launch missiles while submerged. This creates a tactical disadvantage against opponents that have well-developed anti-submarine warfare systems.^[5]

The Han-class have gone through major upgrades and numerous refits since their commissionings. Their initial design and weapons appear to be inadequate for confronting modern warships.It is believed that long refits have often meant that these submarines have spent more time in port than out at sea, greatly affecting their operational capacity. The boats have six 533 mm torpedo tubes and carry 20 torpedoes. Alternatively, they can carry 36 mines in their tubes. The Han class is capable of firing sub-launched variants of the C-801 anti-ship missile as well as a range of indigenous and Russian torpedoes or mines.

Hull 401 (and possibly 402 as well in the near future) had been retired from active service by 2005. All remaining hulls however have been refitted with new sonars, with Type H/SQ2-262B sonar manufactured by No. 613 Factory replacing the original Type 603 sonar on board. Anechoic tiles were added later reduce noise levels. India's short term lease of a Charlie 1 Class SSGN in 1988 resulted in negotiations with Pakistan for a lease of a Han. Pakistan's request for one was withdrawn when India returned the Charlie 1 in 1991.

The Han has mostly operated in local waters. Since the 1990s, Hans have been used more aggressively. A Han shadowed a U.S. carrier battle group in the mid 1990s. In November 2004, a Han made an incursion into Japanese territorial waters and prompted Japan's maritime forces to go on alert for only the second time since the end of World War II. The incursion was through the Ishigaki, Okinawa island group, a lightly populated group of islands very near Taiwan. China later apologized for the incursion saying for "technical reasons," it ventured into Japanese waters.^[6]

All 5 boats (Changzheng 1 to 5; # 401 to 405) of this class were deployed with the North Sea Fleet and are homeported at Qingdao.

*Han Class Attack Nuclear Subs (SSN)*
Boat	Launch	Compl.	De-Comm
401	1970	1974	? 2000
402	1977	1980	? 2004
403	1983	1984
404	1987	1988
405	1990	1991

Notes

^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/type-93.htm
^ Type 091 Han Class
^ Erickson, Andrew S & Goldstein, Lyle J (Winter 2007). "CHINA’S FUTURE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE FORCE - Insights from Chinese Writings", Naval War College Review, 60(1): 55-79
^ The Federation of American Scientists & The Natural Resources Defense Council Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning p.86 [1]
^ Type 09-1 Han Class
^ "China Apologizes for Submarine Incursion". http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2004-11/2004-11-16voa1.cfm.

External links

Ship classes of the Chinese Navy

Submarines


Nuclear ballistic missile	Type 094 Jin class · Type 092 Xia class

Nuclear attack	Type 093 Shang class · Type 091 Han class

Conventional ballistic missile	Modified Project 629 Golf class⁺

Conventional attack	Type 041 Yuan class · Type 039/039A/039G Song class · Type 035 Ming class · Type 033 Romeo class⁺ · Project 636 Kilo II class · Project 877EKM Kilo I class

Principal
surface
combatants

Aircraft carriers	Future Chinese carrier^* · Project 1143.6 Kuznetsov class^*

Destroyers	Type 052C Luyang II (Lanzhou) class · Type 052B Luyang I (Guangzhou) class · Type 052 Luhu class · Type 051C Luzhou class · Type 051B Luhai class · Type 051DT Luda IV class · Type 051G1/G2 Luda III class · Type 051 Luda II class · Type 051 Luda I class · Project 956EM Sovremenny II class · Project 956 Sovremenny I class Anshan class destroyer⁺

Frigates	Type 054A Jiangkai II class · Type 054 Jiangkai I (Ma'anshan) class · Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class · Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class · Type 053H1G Jianghu V class · Type 053HT-H Jianghu IV class · Type 053H2 Jianghu III class · Type 053H1 Jianghu II class · Type 053 Jianghu I class

Coastal
warfare
vessels

Missile boats	Type 022 Houbei class · Type 037-II Houjian class · Type 037-IG Houxin class · Type 021 Houdong class · Type 021 Huangfeng (Soviet Osa-I) class · Type 021 Hola class · China Cat (C 14) class · Type 024 Heku/Hegu/Houku/Hougu class

Torpedo boats	Type 025 Huchuan class · P4 class

Gunboats	Type 062-I Shanghai III class · Type 062 Shanghai II class · Type 062 Shanghai I class · Type 206 Huludao class · Shantou class⁺ · Beihai class⁺ · Huangpu class⁺ · Yulin class⁺

Submarine chasers	Type 037-IS Haiqing class · Type 037-I Haijiu class · Type 062-I Haizhui class · Type 037 Hainan class · Kronshtadt class

Amphibious
warfare
vessels

Landing platforms	Type 071 Yuzhao class amphibious transport dock

Landing ships	Type 072 Yukan class LST · Type072-II Yuting I class LST · Type 072-III Yuting II class LST · Type 079 Yuliang class LSM · Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class LSM · Type 073 I/II/III class LSM · Type 073 IV Yunshu class LSM

Landing craft	Yubei class LCU · Type 722-II Jingsha II class LCAC · Type 724 LCAC · Type 271 Yupen class LCU · Type 067 Yunnan class LCU · Type 068/069 Yuch'in class LCM · Zubr class LCAC^*

Minesweepers,
Minelayers

Type 081 Wochi class minehunter · Type 082-II Wozang class minehunter · Type 918 Wolei class minelayer · Type 010 class oceangoing minesweeper · T-43 class oceangoing minesweeper⁺ ·

Type 082 Wosao class minesweeper · Type 062 Fushun class coastal minesweeper⁺ · Type 312 Futi class minesweeper / minesweeping drone

= Under construction or procurement
+ = Retired
Ships of the Chinese Navy · People's Liberation Army

Current and planned SSN classes

People's Liberation Army Navy	Type 091 · Type 093 · Type 095

French Navy	Rubis · Barracuda

Russian Navy	Victor III · Sierra I & II · Akula · Yasen

Royal Navy	Trafalgar · Astute

United States Navy	Los Angeles · Seawolf · Virginia