China has surpassed Russia in the number of nuclear-powered submarines and now ranks second globally in this strategic segment, narrowing the gap with the United States and changing the balance of undersea deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
This information was revealed by the special publication Defense Security Asia.
According to the study, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) currently operates around 32 active nuclear submarines, while the Russian fleet has between 25 and 28 units in service. The United States remains the absolute leader, with approximately 71 nuclear submarines in service by the end of 2025.
China’s fleet continues to grow
As early as 2026, the Chinese navy operated a class of multipurpose nuclear attack submarines Type 093 and the Type 093A, designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface missions using torpedoes and missiles. An important development was the Type 093B project, which integrated 24 vertical launch cells for YJ-12 or YJ-18 anti-ship missiles, in addition to six 533 mm torpedo tubes in the bow.
In the strategic component, the PLAN has at least nine Type 094 and Type 094A class ballistic missile launching submarines, which are armed with submarine-launched JL-2 and JL-3 ballistic missiles.
The next generation and the shipbuilding industry
China is also continuing two new generation projects. The hull of the Type 095 attack submarine is at the initial stage of assembly, while the first strategic submarine of the Type 096 project is already under construction. These programs strengthen the capacity of China’s shipbuilding industry and signal continuity in the qualitative and quantitative expansion of the fleet.
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Russia dropped to third place, but without a collapse in capabilities
According to the analysis, Russia’s decline to third place was caused not by a sudden loss of potential, but rather by the cumulative impact of industrial stagnation, budget constraints, and competing strategic priorities—factors that limit fleet renewal and operational readiness.
Source and image: China Military Online | Defense Security Asia | Wikimedia. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
