South China Sea. Officially South Sea Fleet. Construction of four new SSBNs at Huladao SY is scheduled to start in the late 1990's. Some reports indicate a second unit was built and that one boat was lost at sea in 1985. Series production was cancelled in favor of a new design.
Some sources report the ship has turbo-electric drive.
The first unit is expected to launch after 2000. First two units had very long trials periods and reportedly were unreliable, but they have recently undergone major refits and are fully active. These vessels probably are rather noisy and primitive in terms of combat systems. Some sources report the ships have turbo-electric drive. The specifications listed above reflect the normal equipment of the 'Improved Kilo' design.