Satellite imagery showed that China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction. The sinking of China’s first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it continues to build out the world’s largest navy. China faces territorial disputes with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China has been building up its naval fleet quickly and the U.S. considers China’s rise a future security concern.
The submarine likely sank between May and June, and the submarine’s current status is unknown. An image taken in June shows the submarine submerged with rescue equipment. It remains unclear if the affected submarine had been loaded with nuclear fuel. China operated six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines as of last year.
News of the submarine’s sinking comes as China conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. A former U.S. Navy submariner first noticed the incident in July, but the sinking was not publicly known to involve the new Zhou-class vessel.
