Type 035 (Ming Class) Diesel-Electric
Submarine
Source: Chinese Defense Today
NAME
PLA Official Designation: Type 035
Industrial Designation: ES5
NATO Code-name: Ming Class
BUILDER: Wuhan Shipyard
INVENTORY (19)
North Sea Fleet (7): 233, 342, 352, 353, 354, 356, 357
East Sea Fleet (6): 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363
South Sea Fleet (6): 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310
The 20th boat reportedly features Air-Independent Propellant (AIP) system and is currently under construction at Wuhan Shipyard.
PROGRAMME
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The Type 035 (Ming Class) is a remodeled Romeo-class submarine, which itself is based on the German Type-21 U-boat of 1944. While these boats are entirely obsolete by modern standards, they are useful for patrol and coastal defense duties, and construction continues providing a relatively inexpensive replacement for aging Romeo-class boats.
The development of the new Type 035 diesel electric submarine began in 1967. The first two boats completed between 1971 and 1972 by Wuhan Shipyard and Jiangnan Shipyard respectively, and entered PLAN service in 1974. One of the first three boats was later scrapped after a fire accident. These earlier units are all ES5C/D models, with faults which delayed the series production of the class, and they have since been retired.
After a redesign, building of the Type 035 passed the national certification in 1983 and production resumed in 1987 at a rate of at least one boat per year. This model is designated as ES5E. The program was thought to have terminated in 1992, but in fact it accelerated to 2 units per year from 1993 before terminating in 1996.
The first 15 boats all serve in the North Sea Fleet. From the 16th (305, delivered in May 1997 and entered service in 1998) onwards, the new ships have been deployed in the South Sea Fleet. These ships are believed to be equipped with Magnavox SATNAV.
ES5E
SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement: (Surface) 1,584
tons; (Dived) 2,113 tons
Dimensions: Length 76 m; Beam 7.6 m; Draft 5.1 m
Propulsion: Diesel-electric, 2 diesels; 5,200 hp (3.82 MW), 2 shafts
Speed: (Dived) 18 knots; (Surfaced) 15 knots; (Snorting) 10 knots
Crew: 57 (10 officers)
Radars: Surface search, Snoop Tray, I-band
Sonar: Pike Jaw; Bow-mounted; active/passive search and
attack, medium frequency; DUUX-5, passive ranging and intercept, low
frequency
Mines: 32 in torpedo tubes
Torpedoes: Six 533 mm tubes; Yu-4 (SAET-60) passive homing to 15 km
at 40 kt; warhead 400 kg; Yu-1 (Type 53-51), to 9.2 km at 39 kt or 3.7 km at
51 kt; warhead 400 kg; total 18 torpedos or 32 mines
