Type 096 submarine

Class overview
Name	Type 096
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by	Type 094 (Jin class)
General characteristics
Type	SSBN
Propulsion	Nuclear reactor
Armament	JL-3 SLBMs (?)

The Type 096 (NATO reporting name: Tang class)^[1] is a projected class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) for China's People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force. The submarine is expected to begin construction in the early 2020s and be armed with the JL-3 SLBM.^[2]^[3]

Recent analysis deduced that China is on track to complete the first Type 096 and make it operational before the end of the decade.^[4]

Specifications and details

The Type 096 will be compared to the most modern Chinese submarines in terms of stealth, sensors and weapons. The capabilities of the Type 096 is speculated to be a significant jump to its predecessors, which would flip the balance in the Indo-Pacific.^[4] In November 2023, satellite imagery on the Huludao shipyard showed pressure hull sections for a large submarine being worked up, which was then stated to likely be the Type 096 in early construction.^[4] The vessel is also speculated to be significantly larger than the old Type 094 and follows a design similar to that of Russia's; allowing it to contain an internal raft mounted on complex rubber supports that helps dampen the noise of the submarine's engines.^[4]