The US intelligence establishment has openly claimed that the PLA Navy’s 094 ballistic missile submarine was launched in July 2004. Kanwa believes that the construction of 093 and 094 nuclear submarines have been accelerated since Zhang Wannian’s inspection visit to No.431 Factory (Mailbox No.3189) in 1999. Western intelligence agencies claimed earlier that 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine had the dock test in 2003, and some other sources said it conducted the surface test during this time. According to Kanwa’s sources, two 093 subs were initially built, the second of which could have undergone (weapon) system installation simultaneously with the first 094 sub. At least one 093 sub and one 094 sub underwent multi-dimensional comprehensive butting operation in 2002-03, with a welding precision of ±2mm.
A highly authoritative source disclosed that in the course of building 093 and 094 subs, a robot production line was adopted, making the welding virtually an automatic process. For the purpose of building these two types of nuclear subs, China imported F335 automatic welding machine. In submarine building, the welding operation is often undertaken under high-temperature conditions, with the temperature in the working setting as high as 64 °C. Up to the present, manual welding has been employed in both Russia and the US and is extremely energy consuming. In the later stage of nuclear sub construction in the former Soviet Union, automation technology was used in the welding operation.
Steel supply for 093 and 094 subs’ nuclear reactors was completed as early as in 1998, totalling 50 metric tons and involving three different types of 57 steel products. In the R&D process of these two nuclear subs, a “premiere (jingpin) project†was initiated, demanding that all the supporting systems of the project must attain the “premiere or the highest quality standardâ€. Meanwhile, all the supporting projects were completed before 2000. Kanwa’s judgment is that at least one 093 and one 094 subs have entered the stage of installation and hermetic test. The nuclear fuel injection of 094 Project would very likely have taken place within 2004, and consequently, 094 may conduct sea test this year. However, it will take another 2-3 years before 094 enters formal service in the PLA Navy.
Launching of 094 Project at this particular time indicates a reinforced nuclear strategic deterrence posture of China. Apart from the US, Russia, UK and France, China is the only country that produces both strategic nuclear ballistic missile and nuclear attack submarines simultaneously, an indication that Beijing is eager to establish effective deterrence in order to warn the US not to get involved in the future Taiwan Strait conflict. Constructing 093 and 094 projects simultaneously also suggests that the next batches of 094 and 093 Projects may also start at the same time. Kanwa has learned that due to the delayed service of 052B DDGs and 039 diesel subs, China had to import 956EM and KILO 636; similarly, the PLA Navy once considered importing 2 Russian Akula-class nuclear attack subs as the transitional vessels. However, because of some political factors and the price problem, China eventually had to accelerate the building of 093 Project. Liu Huaqing’s Memoir clearly stated that the development of 093 was started in 1994.
The major breakthrough that China has made in its 094 Project gives China the genuine capability to conduct second round nuclear counter-reaction. Equipped with the 8,000km-ranged submarine-launched strategic nuclear missile, 094 will be able to launch attacks upon the targets on the US homeland from China’s offshore waters. DF31 has undergone constant upgrading, and the development of Type A of this ballistic missile made some decisive breakthrough in 2002. As a result, upgrading JL2 may have very likely started long before. The 094 subs after the second one will very possibly be fitted with longer-ranged DF31 series upgraded submarine-launched strategic missiles. In addition, the warheads of these missiles will also increase in number due to the installation of sub-warheads on the missiles. One 094 may carry as many as 48 warheads.
Multiple sources from the military assert that 093 and 094 are serial projects. Most of China’s such “premiere projects†are intended for two types of nuclear submarines.