The Type 039 submarine (NATO reporting name: Song-class) is a class of diesel-electric submarines of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The class is the first to be fully developed within China and also the first Chinese submarine to use the modern teardrop hull shape.
The Type 039 / Song Class attack submarine was built by Wuhan Shipyard (Wuchang Shipyard) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. It was the first indigenously built submarine of China. The class is preceded by Type 035 (Ming Class) and succeeded by Type 041 (Yuan Class) submarines.
The Type 039 was introduced to replace the Romeo / Ming Class submarines. The keel of the first submarine of the class, No. 320, was laid down in 1991. It was launched in May 1994 but was not commissioned until June 1999 due to design and performance problems.
Following extensive redesign work, a new modified version known as Type 039G was introduced. The new design reduced the acoustic signature and enhanced the underwater performance of the submarine.
The first Type 039G sub, No. 321, was launched in November 1999 and commissioned in April 2001.
The second of the class, No.322, was commissioned in December 2001, while the third submarine, No. 323, entered service in November 2003.
The construction on another new version, Type 039G1, commenced at Wuchang Shipyard and Jiangnan Shipyard in 2004. A series of 12 submarines were built at the two shipyards.
Type 039 design
The design features a low-drag hydrodynamically profiled hull and sail. Type 039 was the first submarine to use a teardrop hull design. The body is water-drop shaped and the hull is covered with rubber tiles to absorb the sound waves of sonar. The class is equipped with a seven-blade propeller and an engine fitted with a shock-absorbing base. The submarine incorporates Chinese and Western technologies.
Type 039 has a length of 75m, a beam of 8.4m and a draught of 5.3m. The submerged displacement of the boat is 2,250t. The submarine has 12kt - 15kt surfaced and 22kt dived speed. It can complement 60 crew members. The submarine is primarily designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. It can also perform the missions of reconnaissance, mine laying and patrolling.
Submarine command and control
The Song Class is equipped with a multi-role combat and command system. It is an upgraded version of the combat and command system used in the Ming Class submarines. The data provided by the system is used to control the submarine, and firing of torpedoes and missiles.
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| Yu-4 Torpedo |
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| Yj-8 anti ship missile |
Primary weapon for the Type 039 is the 533 mm Yu-4 torpedo, a locally produced passive homing 40-knot (74 km/h) torpedo based on the SAET-50 and roughly comparable to the SAET-60. Surface targets may be attacked at up to 15 km. Yu-6 wire-guided torpedoes may also be used for targeting submarines. It is also likely that the Type 039 is capable of carrying the YJ-8 anti-ship missile, a cruise missile which can be launched from the same tube as the boat's torpedoes, and can target surface vessels at up to 80 km. The missile is subsonic and carries a 165 kg warhead. For mining operations, in place of torpedoes, the submarine can carry 24 to 36 naval mines, deliverable through the torpedo tubes. The general designer of the torpedo and missile launching system is Mr. Sun Zhuguo (孙柱国, 1937-), and the launching system is compatible with AShM, ASW, torpedoes of both China and Russian/Soviet origin.
Although Type 039 has successfully test fired the CY-1 ASW Missile under water like the Yuan-class submarine, the status of the missile is in question because nothing is heard about it entering mass production. The CY-1 ASW missile has a maximum range of 18 km (10 nm), and when using A244 or Mark 46 torpedo as a payload.
Submarine countermeasures
The submarine is fitted with SRW209 electronic warfare suite comprising electronic support measures, a radar warning receiver and a radio direction finder. The system is fully automatic and manually operated. It operates on S - Ku bands and can be linked with the combat data system.
Type 039 sensors / radars
The main sensor is the medium-frequency sonar mounted in the bow of the submarine, with passive and active modes, which is used for both search and attack. In addition, the system offers a method of underwater communications, and also functions as a torpedo approach warning system. This sonar is the Chinese development of French Thomson-CSF TSM-2233 sonar, and is capable of simultaneously tracking 4 to 12 targets depending on the function it is used for. To enhance passive search capabilities, a low frequency sonar of French Thomson-CSF TSM-2255 design is mounted on the flanks of the hull, with a maximum range in excess of 30 km and capable of simultaneously tracking four targets. The system is further enhanced with the integration of a domestic Chinese passive ranging sonar on board, designated as H/SQG-04 sonar. For surface search, a small I-band radar is fitted.
This class is the first Chinese submarine to be fitted with an integrated electronic support measures / radio direction finder / radar warning receiver system designated as SRW209 Submarine Radar Reconnaissance Equipment, which works at S - Ku bands with 100% detection rate. The SRW209 is fully automatic and can be either operated by a single operator with a console with a color CRT (which can be replaced by LCD) display console, or linked to the combat data system, which is capable of tracking multiple targets.
Diesel-electric propulsion system
The Type 039 submarine is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system. Three German MTU 16V396SE84 diesel engines drive the large asymmetrical seven-bladed skewed propeller through a single shaft. The submarine is equipped with four alternators and an electric motor.