China's new nuc naval base. Sat. imagery interpretations.

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http://www.janes.com/news/security/jir/ ... _1_n.shtml

Non-Subscriber Extract
Secret Sanya - China's new nuclear naval base revealed
21 April 2008

China is constructing a major underground nuclear submarine base near Sanya, on Hainan Island off its southern coast, Jane's can confirm. Although Asian military sources have disclosed this fact to Jane's since 2002, high-resolution commercially available satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe allows independent verification of the previous suggestions.
The extent of construction indicates the Sanya base (also known as Yulin) could become a key future base for People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carriers and other power-projection ships. In December 2007, perhaps in concert with a major PLAN exercise the previous month, the PLA moved its first Type 094 second-generation nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) to Sanya.

An underground submarine base and the positioning of China's most advanced sub-surface combatants at Sanya would have implications for China's control of the South China Sea and the strategically vital straits in the area. Further satellite imagery suggests the construction of Sanya has been supported by a gradual military build-up in the Paracel Islands over the last 20 years, and the transformation of the Chinese-occupied features in the Spratly Island group into assets that could support a range of military operations.

China's nuclear and naval build-up at Sanya underlines Beijing's desire to assert tighter control over this region. China's increasing dependence on imported petroleum and mineral resources has contributed to an intensified Chinese concern about defending its access to vital sea lanes, particularly to its south. It is this concern that in large part is driving China's development of power-projection naval forces such as aircraft carriers and long-range nuclear submarines.

China has pursued this build-up at Sanya with little fanfare, offering no public explanations regarding its plan to base nuclear weapons or advanced naval platforms there.

For both regional and extra-regional powers, it will be difficult to ignore that China is now building a major naval base at Sanya and may be preparing to house and protect a large proportion of its nuclear forces here, and even operate them from this base. This development so close to the Southeast Asian sea lanes so vital to the economies of Asia can only cause concern far beyond these straits.

Image: Digital imagery has confirmed Sanya's place as a major future Chinese naval base. (DigitalGlobe)

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http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2 ... base/7175/

Report: China has

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2 ... base/7175/

Report: China has secret nuclear sub base
BEIJING, May 1 (UPI) -- China has built a major secret underground nuclear submarine base, intelligence shows.

Displaying satellite imagery it has obtained, The Daily Telegraph shows a harbor it says can house several nuclear ballistic subs and aircraft carriers.

Other images show numerous moored warships and underground tunnels at the Sanya base on the southern tip of Hainan island.

The report said the Pentagon is more concerned with massive tunnel entrances that could lead to caverns in which up to 20 nuclear subs could be hidden from spy satellites.

The report says the United States estimates China will have five 094 nuclear subs operational by 2010.

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http://www.newsroomamerica.com/world/st ... ?id=416641

China Builds Suspected

http://www.newsroomamerica.com/world/st ... ?id=416641

China Builds Suspected Nuclear Sub Base
2008-05-01 05:42am


China has built a new naval facility which analysts believe will be a major nuclear submarine base, a British newspaper reported Thursday.

The Telegraph reported that, based on satellite imagery passed to the paper, the Sanya base is located on the southern tip of Hainan Island. One image showed China's newest nuclear-powered submarine, the 094, moored there.

Other images show a number of warships moored to long jettys and a network of underground tunnels at the base.

The Pentagon is concerned that the massive tunnel entrances, which are estimated to be 60 feet high and built into the mountainsides around the base, could lead to caverns capable of hiding scores of nuclear submarines from spy satellites.

The U.S. Defense Department has estimated that China could have as many as five operational 094 nuke boats operational by 2010, each capable of carrying nuclear-tipped JL-2 missiles.

Analysts for Janes Defense Weekly, who looked at the images, hinted the base could be used for "expeditionary as well as defensive operations." It would allow the subs to "break out to launch locations closer to the U.S."

American officials believe China could be attempting to build a naval force to rival the U.S.naval presence in the area, should it need to do so in a conflict over Taiwan or to keep naval lanes to Asia open.

Military experts believe China's build-up of forces remains at a heated pace but has been largely hidden due to Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics this summer.

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HERE ARE A FEW MORE

HERE ARE A FEW MORE DETAILS IN THE TWO ARTICLES BELOW
ALONG WITH SOME DISCUSSIONS IN THE 2ND ARTICLE.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/a ... 2003410916
Defense ministry unruffled by China sub base report

By Jimmy Chuang
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, May 03, 2008, Page 1
The Ministry of National Defense reacted quietly yesterday to a news report that the Chinese navy had built a nuclear submarine base in Hainan Province, saying it already knew about the base.

We knew about it six months ago,¡¨ ministry spokeswoman Colonel Lisa Chi (¦À¥ÉÄõ) said by telephone yesterday afternoon.

Agence France-Presse reported yesterday that China has built a major underground nuclear submarine base on the southern tip of Hainan. The wire agency quoted the UK¡¦s Daily Telegraph, as saying that Jane¡¦s Intelligence Review had obtained satellite images of the base, the first confirmation of the base¡¦s existence.

The base was said to be able to house a score of nuclear ballistic missile submarines and a host of aircraft carriers.

The Telegraph, which published multiple satellite photos, said one image showed a Chinese 094 nuclear submarine at the base.

Other images show several warships moored on long jetties as well as numerous entrances to what appear to be a network of tunnels. There are reportedly 11 tunnel openings carved into the hillside at the base, with each entrance stretching to a height of about 18m.

Chi said that the ministry had no plans to change its defense policies or implement stricter security mechanisms because of the Hainan base.

We are fully aware of the Chinese military¡¦s latest developments and shall react accordingly when necessary, she said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/304797.html

China’s new n-submarine base sets off alarm bells

Manu Pubby
Posted online: Saturday, May 03, 2008 at 0016 hrs
Nearest to India: Satellite reveals sprawl of underground tunnels 1200 miles off Malacca Strait
New Delhi, May 2:China has deployed its latest Jin class nuclear submarine at a massive new military facility at Sanya on the Hainan Island in South China Sea — its newest and nearest naval base to India.


While the Indian Navy had been aware about the upcoming military facility for some time, satellite images for the first time show the extent of the base and the fact that the Jin Class submarine, which carries 12 nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, has been deployed at Hainan.

This has raised concern as the Chinese naval base, complete with an underground facility that can hide the movement of submarines from spy satellites, is barely 1,200 nautical miles from the strategic Malacca Strait and an access route to the Indian Ocean — a region that New Delhi considers its personal security responsibility.

Chinese nuclear submarines have never yet operated in the Indian Ocean but the facility — which is 2,000 nautical miles away from the Andaman Islands — will be its nearest access point to the region.

Details about the Hainan naval base have been widely reported but satellite images (dated February this year) obtained by nuclear weapons watchdog Federation of American Scientists (FAS) for the first time show a sea entrance to an underground facility and a Jin class submarine moored at the base.

This, experts say, could give China the capability to cut off Malacca Strait and the South China Sea for commercial traffic in event of a crisis. Experts say that the base also seems to have a demagnetization facility which makes submarines more stealthy and difficult to detect.

While India has taken note of the event, military analysts say that the South China Sea is a difficult place to operate submarines and China has not yet developed the expertise to operate nuclear submarines far away from mainland.

“It will take a long time for China to develop the operational skills and structures to be able to deploy the (Jin class) SSBNs in a way that makes a real strategic difference. The Xia (China’s older class of nuclear submarines) has never deployed on a deterrent patrol, so operationally the Chinese are starting from scratch,” Hans Kristensen, Director, Nuclear Information Project, FAS, told The Indian Express.

A report in The Daily Telegraph today said that satellite imagery indicated that a substantial harbour has been built that could house nuclear submarines and a host of aircraft carriers.

One photograph shows China’s latest nuclear submarine at the base just a few hundred miles from its neighbours; another shows warships moored at long jetties and a network of tunnels at the Sanya base on the southern tip of Hainan island. One of the issues of concern to the Pentagon, the newspaper reported, is the immense tunnel entrances — 11 of these have been spotted — estimated to be 60 ft high, carved into the hill-side around the base. They could lead to caverns capable of concealing from spy satellites up to 20 nuclear submarines.

The location of the base off Hainan will also give the submarines access to very deep water — exceeding 15,000 feet — within a few miles, making them even harder to detect. Two 1,000-yard piers and three smaller ones could accommodate two carrier strike groups or amphibious assault ships.

China has been packaging Hainan as a new Hawaii with its sparkling beaches lined by hotels patronised by western expatriates, Russian package tours, and China’s new middle-class, said the newspaper.

The deployment of the Jin class submarine at Hainan may motivate India to speed up its indigenous nuclear submarine project that has been in the making for the past decade. The Indian Navy is looking at inducting five indigenous ATV nuclear submarines. However, sea trials for the first sub are set to begin only by next year. In the meantime, India is leasing an Akula II nuclear attack submarine from Russia next year to initiate the training process for its personnel.

Of late, several photographs and satellite images of Chinese nuclear submarines and naval facilities have come to light, raising speculation that Beijing is subtly showing off its increasing military prowess. In October last year, several Chinese websites carried photographs showing off its latest Jin class submarine. The first clear photographs gave experts an insight into the capabilities of the vessel.

A month earlier, the Shang (Type 093) class attack submarines were unveiled through a photograph and an article in the state-run People’s Daily newspaper. The Shang and Jin class are replacements for the first generation Han class nuclear submarines that China developed over two decades ago.

[novagator]

the photos are very impressive

the photos are very impressive from what I have seen. Reminds me of the Russian subbase under the mountain.