Silent and Lethal: China’s Hypersonic-Armed Submarine Designed to Hunt Carriers from the Deep

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The unveiling of China’s latest nuclear-powered attack submarine, the Type 09IIIB—referred to in NATO reporting nomenclature as the Shang-III class—underscores Beijing’s intensifying pursuit of full-spectrum maritime superiority beneath the waves.

As a formidable successor to the earlier Type 093 class, the Type 09IIIB represents a pivotal technological evolution within the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), embodying major advances in stealth engineering, precision strike capabilities, and sustained deep-ocean endurance.

With an estimated length of 126 metres and a beam of 11 metres, the submarine’s enlarged hull offers expanded space for housing sophisticated acoustic sensors, electronic warfare systems, and weapon launch platforms.

At approximately 6,200 tonnes submerged, the Type 09IIIB ranks among the heaviest nuclear-powered attack submarines in Asia, signaling China’s ambition to compete with the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class and Russia’s Yasen-class in underwater reach and lethality.

Capable of attaining submerged speeds of up to 30 knots, the Shang-III can rapidly reposition in strategic chokepoints such as the Bashi Channel, the Luzon Strait, and throughout the First Island Chain, where PLAN’s presence is increasingly assertive.

One of the most critical enhancements lies in its ducted pump-jet propulsion system, replacing traditional screw propellers to dramatically reduce its acoustic signature, thereby enhancing survivability against enemy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets.

This upgrade is emblematic of China’s shift toward quieting technologies, a cornerstone of modern undersea warfare where stealth equates to survivability and strategic leverage in contested domains.

What sets the Type 09IIIB apart from its predecessors is its vertical launch system (VLS)—capable of housing up to 18 missile cells for launching a wide array of land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, including hypersonic-class munitions.

Among these is the YJ-21 (Eagle Strike-21 or Yingji-21)—a game-changing hypersonic anti-ship missile developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), and purpose-built for carrier-killer missions in A2/AD environments.

Designed to defeat even the most robust naval air defences, the YJ-21 reportedly reaches Mach 10, placing targets as far as 2,000 kilometers away at risk from stand-off launch positions deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

The YJ-21’s versatility is equally notable—it can be fired from ground-based launchers, Type 055 destroyers, and now, from beneath the sea via the Type 09IIIB, giving China a powerful tri-domain delivery platform.

Its terminal maneuverability, high-speed trajectory, and radar-evading profile render it exceptionally difficult to intercept, even for advanced systems like the AEGIS Combat System, THAAD, or SM-6 interceptors.

By arming the Type 09IIIB with such advanced strike capabilities, Beijing is clearly extending its A2/AD envelope into the heart of the Western Pacific, directly challenging U.S. naval dominance and freedom of navigation operations in the region.

The submarine’s hull follows a hydrodynamically efficient teardrop design, enabling greater submerged agility and reduced drag, a configuration consistent with NATO and Russian SSN benchmarks.

Its sail integrates next-generation electro-optical sensors for surface reconnaissance and threat detection, while its bow-mounted sonar arrays offer long-range passive detection of enemy surface ships and submarines.

A closer look at the stern reveals the low-noise pump-jet propulsion system, a defining trait of modern SSNs that drastically reduces cavitation and makes the vessel harder to track by sonar-equipped adversaries.

Leaked sea trials footage from early 2025 has provided valuable glimpses into the vessel’s high-speed maneuvering, stealth mode operations, and accelerated missile deployment capabilities—all of which align with PLAN’s doctrinal shift toward first-strike readiness.

These trials revealed not only technical refinements but also strategic intent, showcasing China’s growing confidence in fielding submarines that can patrol deep into disputed waters or even operate near Guam, home to America’s forward-deployed Indo-Pacific forces.

The recent land-based sighting of the Type 09IIIB—the third confirmed public observation of this class—has reignited global naval intelligence assessments of the submarine’s mission profile and technological maturity.

Each new appearance of the Type 09IIIB further cements its role as a key enabler in Beijing’s maritime strategy, adding undersea teeth to a broader military buildup that includes aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, and hypersonic glide vehicles.

Its ability to conduct long-range missile strikes from stealth positions beneath the ocean gives China the capacity to paralyze critical assets—such as carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and logistical flotillas—in the opening moments of a high-end maritime conflict.

The vessel’s emergence also complements China’s wider Indo-Pacific posture, which revolves around building a layered denial architecture that can deter or delay external intervention in crises involving Taiwan, the South China Sea, or disputed East Asian waters.

As the U.S. and its allies—particularly Japan, Australia, and India—increase submarine patrols and multilateral naval exercises, the stealth deployment of Type 09IIIB injects a potent new variable into regional maritime calculus.

In sum, the Type 09IIIB reflects a transformative leap in China’s nuclear submarine development, incorporating the stealth of the West, the weapons mass of Russia, and the doctrinal assertiveness of Beijing’s strategic planners.

It is not merely a warship—it is a floating symbol of China’s maritime resurgence, an undersea predator designed to reshape naval warfare and reinforce the country’s ambition to become a dominant sea power with global reach.

With the Type 09IIIB joining PLAN’s arsenal, Beijing now possesses a more credible second-strike capability, a more elusive deep-sea hunter, and a more strategic tool for coercion, deterrence, and maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA