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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: PLA developing submarines powered by lithium-ion batteries Want...China is experimenting with a lithium-ion battery propulsion system for submarines and aims to achieve results within the next five years, according to a report from Tokyo-based international news magazine the Diplomat. Lithium-ion batteries offer much higher energy density and longer dive times than conventional diesel-powered submarines, which is why Chinese researchers see them as the "wave of the future," says Andrew Erickson, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. The PLA Navy is discussing putting lithium-ion batteries "on a new generation of conventional subs sometime between now and 2020, but there is no indicator as yet of the type of submarine that might be," Erickson said. China is working extremely hard to advance its submarine technology because it remains more than a generation behind the West, the report said. The PLA's Type 095 nuclear submarine, for example, is likely to be on par with 1980s NATO nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines. One of the major structural weaknesses is said to be the lack of propulsion engineering because most engines used in Chinese subs are either based on imported foreign technology or built domestically under license. The PLA wants submarines with reactors that are "efficient, long-lasting, reliable and quiet enough," Erickson said, which is why China has equipped them in their Song- and Yuan-class attack subs. Diesel subs are generally stealthier than nuclear subs because the former are specifically designed to minimize vibration and noise in order to evade sonar detection. However, China also wants their subs to be able to not have to surface in order to charge batteries, which is why longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries could be the solution. The PLA Navy currently has five nuclear attack submarines, four nuclear ballistic missile submarines and 53 diesel attack submarines, according to the Pentagon's Office of Naval Intelligence. The Pentagon estimates that by 2020 China's underwater force will grow to between 69 and 78 submarines. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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