China’s stealth nuclear attack submarine spotted in satellite images

Satellite imagery has revealed what is believed to be China’s first next-generation Type 09V (095) nuclear-powered attack submarine, marking a major advancement in the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s undersea fleet. The submarine was recently moved into a launch bay at the Bohai Shipbuilding facility in Huludao, where China builds its nuclear submarines. Initial images suggested it might be an upgraded Type 093B, but higher-resolution photos showed design features consistent with a new class, including a larger and wider hull estimated at 12 to 13 meters in beam and about 110 to 115 meters in length. This wider hull likely increases submerged displacement to around 9,000–10,000 tons, a significant jump from the roughly 7,000 tons of earlier Shang-class submarines. Key design changes include the first use of an X-shaped stern rudder configuration on a Chinese nuclear submarine and hull-mounted retractable dive planes instead of sail-mounted control surfaces. The hull