China's Nuclear Submarine Nightmare Has Arrived

China's naval ambitions suffered a significant setback as reports emerged that a nuclear-powered attack submarine sank while still under construction. The incident, which occurred in the spring but was only recently revealed, has embarrassed Beijing and hindered its rapid naval expansion efforts.

Summary and What You Need to Know: China's naval ambitions suffered a significant setback as reports emerged that a nuclear-powered attack submarine sank while still under construction. The incident, which occurred in the spring but was only recently revealed, has embarrassed Beijing and hindered its rapid naval expansion efforts.

-Although the loss is notable, it won’t drastically alter China's overall strategic posture as the country continues to churn out warships at a rapid pace, outpacing the U.S. in shipbuilding.

-While it serves as a reminder that China's military is not infallible, the U.S. must remain vigilant as Beijing innovates new systems to challenge American naval dominance.

China’s Submarine Nightmare Has Begun

Now, for some good news, for those of you who, like me, fear America’s enemies are able to outpace the U.S. militarily. A Wall Street Journal report indicates the newest People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) nuclear-powered attack submarine has sunk while still under construction. In classic fashion, Beijing struggled to cover it up. 

The incident reportedly occurred in the spring and we’re only now finding out about it around six months after the fact. The Chinese government has yet to fully acknowledge this event. 

The bad news is that this doesn’t really matter. China is churning out warships, and American shipyards are not. Still, it is an embarrassment for China’s regime. The loss of this submarine will have some negative impacts on the overall naval modernization and expansion plans that China’s President-for-Life Xi Jinping has ordered. 

It's refreshing to see China not as an implacable foe, but as a very human adversary that is capable of making boneheaded mistakes. The issue is that this will have very little impact on China’s overall strategic posture. They will likely rapidly replace the submarine in question. 

Nuclear Submarines: Underestimating China is a Big Mistake

Readers may soothe themselves with jokes about shoddy Chinese products. They may insist this proves the U.S. Navy, while smaller than China’s, is of far higher quality than the PLAN will ever achieve. 

The same notions were bandied about by the British Royal Navy at the end of the Second World War, when it was clear the Royal Navy was no longer the largest navy in the world. 

Over time, though, the Americans who displaced them in size were ultimately able to best the BRoyal Navy technologically, too. Beijing is doing the same thing to the Americans, and the Americans are making the same excuses for their own failures. 

Consider this: US shipyards are struggling to meet peacetime demands for the Navy’s submarine force. The Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine program is over budget, and the shipyards are struggling to produce a measly two Virginia-class submarines per year. 

China, meanwhile, is on submarine-building spree. At the same time, China’s military is innovating entirely new systems that will, in the words of the Wall Street Journal’s Alastair Gale, end the “era of total U.S. submarine dominance over China.” 

Inevitably, China’s will fuse nascent technologies into its growing submarine fleet and they will overwhelm the Americans, especially in regions nearest to the Chinese sphere of interest. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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