Type 091 submarine

The Han - class ( NATO classification, Chinese name Type 091) is the first class of nuclear submarines of the Navy of the People's Republic of China.

History

Planning and construction

The program for the planning already started in the late 1950s. However, the Soviet Union ceased its support for the Chinese development program, so that had to be largely resorted to their own developments. As a result, the program was suspended in 1963 for two years. Then, a first reactor in the country was built and tested. Even after that it took years before results were visible: Only in 1970 was the first boat of the class in Huludao from the stack, in August 1974 was followed by the entry into service.

The complex steps that must be followed in the production of a nuclear submarine, led the first boat of the class to numerous problems, including an increased radiation dose to the crew. They tried the design weaknesses in the circuits of the reactor cooling system and the turbines to eliminate the construction of the second boat, which was only partly successful.

The production of boats of the Han class was continued and ended with the fifth boat ( number 405 ), which was put into service in 1991.

The first two boats were overhauled in the late 1980s, another two at the turn of the millennium. It is believed that 2 or 3 of the original 5 boats were decommissioned in 2007.

Will be reimbursed boats since 2002 through which the modern Shang - class.

Technology

The boats are about 106 feet long and displace dipped approximately 5500 standard tons of water. At the beginning were the Hans, compared with Western and Soviet units, very loud and far less powerful; this seems to have improved by the overhaul partially. Tom Clancy was in his non-fiction book "nuclear submarine " which boats were comparable performance with the American Skipjack class or the Soviet Victor -I class.

The armament consists of six torpedo tubes caliber 533 mm. Boats are powered by a pressurized water reactor that drives the shaft via a turbo- electric configuration.

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