PLAN Type 092 Xia Class SSBN

The Type 092 (another designation: Xia class) is the name of a class of Chinese nuclear powered submarines - ballistic missile carriers (SSBN). The only vessel of this class was launched in 1981 and entered service only six years later (1987). He's still in the line. The Type 092 is 120 meters long, 10 meters wide, and has a displacement of approximately 8,000 tons. The maximum underwater speed is approx. 22 knots. The main armament of the ship is 12 JL-1 ballistic missile launchers, and later JL-1A. The unit also has six 533 mm torpedo tubes.

The Type 092 ship was developed and put into production as the first unit of this type in the history of the Chinese Navy. It can also be assumed that it was largely developed by Chinese engineers, but mainly using Soviet technology. The very long time that elapsed between the launch and commissioning could indicate, for example, problems with the ballistic missile fire control system or with the missiles themselves, which in the JL-1A version have a range of 2,500 kilometers. Some sources also say that the Xia type unit did not go on patrols outside the territorial waters of the PRC. Undoubtedly, this ship was clearly inferior to the designs of Soviet or American SSBN units from the 1980s. It is worth noting that since 2007, the new SSBN Type 094 (Jin-class) ship has been entering service in the Chinese fleet.