Type 041 submarine The Type 041 submarine ( NATO code name Yuan class ) is a class of diesel - electric submarine in China ' s People ' s Liberation Army Navy . This class was first launched at Wuhan Shipyard and is the successor of the Type 039 . The official Chinese designation is 039A as the ship is based on the 039 class , but as the 039A has very little resemblance to the 039 it is commonly referred to as the Type 041 . Design . The Type 041 inherits the tail design of the Type 039 ( NATO codename : Song class ) with four diving planes and a single large shaft . The teardrop shaped hull and large sail suggest heavy Kilo influence . The teardrop shape also suggests a pressurized double hull design inherited from the Kilo . A pair of foreplanes are positioned in the middle of the sail . The submarine is equipped with indigenously developed cabin - raft ( shock absorbers ) system that helped to reduce noise level by over 35 dB . Additionally , the submarine is covered with rubber anti - sonar protection tiles to reduce the risk of detection . A new improved " A " variant was also launched . Weapons . The Type 041 has six 533 mm torpedo tubes . These can be used to launch indigenous as well as Russian - made torpedoes . The general designer of the torpedo and missile launching system is Mr . Sun Zhuguo ( 孙柱国 , 1937 - ) . The Type 041 is also believed to be capable of launching YJ - 8X ( C - 80X ) series anti - ship missiles . The missile uses inertial + terminal active radar guidance . It carries a 165 kg time - delayed semi - armour - piercing high - explosive warhead , with a maximum range of 80 ~ 120 km and speed of Mach 0 . 9 . The Type 041 is also capable of firing the CY - 1 ASW missile under water , but the status of the missile is in question because nothing is heard about its production . The CY - 1 ASW missile has a maximum range of 18 km ( 10 nm ) , and when using A244 or Mark 46 torpedo as a payload . This class is designed to replace the aging Romeo and Ming Class SSKs that previously formed the backbone of the PLAN conventional submarine force . At least seven boats have been commissioned as of 2013 by the PLAN . Sensors . China was known to have imported the Thales TSM 2233 ELEDONE / DSUV - 22 and Thales TSM 2255 / DUUX - 5 from France during the 1980s and early 1990s . It also has access to a wide range of modern Russian sonar systems ( MG - 519 MOUSE ROAR , MGK - 500 SHARK GILL ) through its purchase of the Kilo Class . Comparable systems are expected to be installed for the Type 041 . The Type 041 is likely to be fitted with a comparable surface / air search radar similar to the MRK - 50 SNOOP TRAY , a commercial navigation radar like a Furuno unit observed on a number of SONG class and ESM system is comparable to the Type 921 - A . Propulsion . Contrary to many erroneous claims circulated on the internet by domestic Chinese military enthusiasts , the rumored pump - jet propulsion system is not used on this submarine , because that system is still under development . According to the official academic journals published in China , compared to the seven - bladed propeller currently used , the prototype of the indigenously - developed pump - jet can reduce noise level by 7 dB at 6 knots or 10 - 12 dB at 11 knots . But the system still needs further testing , and the current rumor that the pump - jet is planned for later units of this class is highly unlikely . Diesel engines are used for conventional propulsion ; this class is the first boat in the Chinese inventory that can achieve full electrical propulsion , which greatly reduces radiation noise . The same all - electric propulsion design is also modified for use on the Chinese navy ' s Type 093 submarine and Type 094 submarine . The general designer of the all - electric propulsion systems used in these boats is Professor Ma Weiming ( 马伟明 ) of China ' s Naval Engineering University . ( Ma , born in Yangzhong in 1960 , obtained his Ph . D . from Tsinghua University in 1996 . ) According to the Chinese newspaper " Science and Technology Daily " ( 科技日报 ) , this 041 class is equipped with an air - independent propulsion system developed by the 711th Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Group Corp . ( 中国船舶重工集团公司第七一一研究所 ) , referred as a " specialized engine " in official Chinese sources . The 711th Institute was founded in April 1963 , but it was not until more than a decade later , in 1975 , that it ventured into the field of air - independent propulsion systems by establishing an office for a " specialized engine , " setting up a team of about a dozen researchers . By June 1996 that team had developed into the " specialized engine engineering research center " ; by 2008 there were more than a hundred researchers . In 1998 , the first experimental sample was built and a decade later and after a dozen technological breakthroughs , a wide range of matured versions became commercially available and the newest diesel - electric submarine in Chinese navy became the first customer . Although the official Chinese source had not mentioned the exact class of the submarine , it is generally accepted that the class is no other than Type 041 Yuan class , since it is the newest conventional powered submarine in the Chinese navy . The engine is built by Shanghai Qiyao Propulsion Technology Ltd . ( 上海齐耀动力技术有限公司 ) , a wholly owned subsidiary of the 711th Institute ( 中国船舶重工集团公司第七一一研究所 ) . However , the Chinese source failed to mention the exact type of air - independent propulsion system had been installed , but the developer offered a selection ranging from 20 kW to 100 kW ( rate for single unit ) . Recent rumors stated that the boat utilize a Stirling cycle engine , but this cannot be confirmed . It is also unclear if the incorporation of air - independent propulsion system has become the standard or just for evaluation purposes . Since the air - independent propulsion systems onboard western submarines usually rate at 150 kW to 300 kW , so it is safe to assume that similar systems onboard Chinese submarines would also be consisted of at least two units just like its western counterpart . S20 . At IDEX - 2013 , China revealed a scaled - down version of Type 041 submarine designated as S20 , specially intended for export . The main difference between S20 and Type 041 is that the AIP system on the original Type 041 is deleted , but can be available and easily integrated due to modular design of S20 , if potential customers choose to purchase AIP systems separately . Due to its modular design , a variety of sensors and weapons can also be easily adopted up on customers ' requests . Specifications of S20 : Type 039C . An upgraded variant of the Yuan has been built , with a modified hull and sail . Jane ' s " New submarine picture presents Chinese puzzle