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Submerged ships are relatively old, but with modern technology, they can get a new life. The Chinese corporation Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industrial is developing a new combat unit for the Chinese Navy, which will combine the fleet speed & subtlety of the submarine, as ‘Warspot’ reports referring to the magazine ‘Popular Science’.
Chinese scientific research institutes are working on the creation of a submersible ship since 2011. Today, the Chinese Navy is considering two options:
- a project is more like a submarine, but without the possibility of a full immersion
- a ship that can almost completely go under the water, leaving on the surface only the upper part of the superstructure.
Submerged ship in the version of the semi-submarine
According to unofficial information, the Chinese corporation Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industrial is already assembling the first prototype of a large warship that can be effectively used over & under water. Which option – the ship or semi submarine – is chosen to create the prototype is not yet known, but it is indicated that it can be created already by 2020.
A submersible ship is being developed for the Chinese Navy
According to the Chinese expert on hydrodynamics, Professor Dong Wen Tsai, who is involved in the development of a submersible ship, it is planned to build a large semi-submarine or submersible ship for the Chinese Navy (the planned displacement of each of the variants is 20,000 tons), armed with hundreds of guided missiles. The new ship will combine speed & secrecy. According to the developers, the movement in the underwater mode will allow the ship to remain unnoticed for the enemy radars & to protect against the impacts of anti-ship missiles. In the above-water position, it will be able to develop the maximum speed.
As for semisubmersible vessels, which are more common, it all started with non-self-propelled barges. They are now becoming popular in all parts of the world.