Type 039 Yuan

China's primary conventional attack submarine equipped with Stirling air-independent propulsion — built for regional sea denial, increasingly capable of long submerged loiter, and the platform behind Beijing's push into the submarine export market.

Overview

The Type 039 Yuan family — encompassing the baseline 039A, improved 039B, and the latest 039C — is the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) principal indigenous diesel-electric submarine with air-independent propulsion (AIP). Designed for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare in the littoral and near seas, the class marries a Stirling-cycle AIP plant with a developed hull and sensor suite, giving it multi-week submerged endurance without snorkeling. As of late 2025, the PLAN operated roughly 21 Yuan-class boats, making it the numerically dominant AIP platform in the Chinese submarine force, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The type also anchors China’s entry into the export market: a modified 039B design, the Hangor class, is being delivered to Pakistan, while Thailand’s S26T is a contracted derivative.

🔒 The full Type 039 Yuan file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Below the line: development history, design and capabilities, variants, the combat record, advantages and limitations, comparable systems, outlook, the full specifications table, our sourcing, and the analyst assessment — procurement, suppliers and the BattlePolicy verdict. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →