The Pentagon confirmed a report on Thursday, Sept. 26, that a Chinese nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, and in the process, it publicly acknowledged for the first time that it likely sank while docked in a river. Right now, U.S. military officials say it’s unclear what caused the submarine to sink, and they do not know if it had any nuclear fuel aboard at the time.
However, a U.S. defense official said that it likely went down alongside a pier in May or June. Satellite images from Planet Labs show cranes at the shipyard where the submarine would have originally docked.
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The Pentagon said at last check, Beijing had 12 nuclear-powered submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines. However, it expects the number of subs to grow to 65 by 2025 and expand to 80 by 2035.
The submarine’s sinking is reportedly a major blow to China’s effort to outmatch U.S. naval strength. China is reportedly ramping up military spending with a focus on its navy, rocket force and air force. The People’s Liberation Army’s budget is expected to grow by more than 7% in 2024.
China reportedly made attempts to cover up the sinking, which until this week was unknown to the public. A senior U.S. military official said that “it’s no surprise” the world’s largest navy would try to hide the unwelcome development.
The disclosure that the Chinese submarine sank comes during the same week that the Pentagon commended China for its “transparency” in notifying the proper countries ahead of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test launch on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
