CHINA-TAIWAN: CHINESE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE SPOTTED ON THE SURFACE IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT
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In the 'Covert Shores' blog on November 30, submarine expert H.I. Sutton commented on the unexpected appearance of a Chinese submarine in the Taiwan Strait this week and identified the vessel as a Chinese Type-94 nuclear-powered ballistic missile sub in a photo from the open source European satellite imagery service, Sentinel-2. The sub was spotted allegedly cruising above the surface of the waters separating Taiwan from mainland China. The reason for its alleged presence in the strait is unknown, but Sutton said it was likely the Chinese sub — also known as an SSBN or boomer — was on a routine mission, possibly heading back to a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy port on the Bohai Sea for repairs or maintenance. Other experts who viewed the satellite image said the alleged presence of a boomer on the surface was perplexing. Carl Schuster, an ex-US Navy captain and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center, said "An SSBN on the surface is all but unheard of. This may suggest a hull or engineering problem that requires a major shipyard to investigate and fix."
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