PLA NAVY TYPE 039 SONG CLASS

The Type 039G, also called the Song class by Western sources, is a type of Chinese diesel-electric fighter submarines (SSKs) that were built by shipyards in Wuhan and Shanghai in the PRC. The first units of this type entered service in 1998 and still remain in service. It is estimated that there are 12-13 ships of this class in the line. The Song-class ships are 74.9 m long, 8.4 m wide, and have a displacement of 2,250 tons. The maximum underwater speed is up to 22 knots. The main armament is six 533 mm torpedo tubes, and the ship carries 18 torpedoes of this caliber or 36 naval mines. The Type 039G was the first submarine type to be fully developed by Chinese shipyards and domestic engineers. It entered the line to supplement, but also partially replace, the 035 units. Unlike its predecessors, the Song class has a differently shaped hull, which guarantees better hydrodynamic properties, which translates into a higher underwater speed, which is 4 knots higher. It can also be assumed that the Type 039G has much richer electronic equipment, especially sonars, as well as improved electric and diesel motors. The Type 039G ships are slowly being replaced by the Type 039A, also known as the Yuan-class, in the Chinese Navy.