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.

Development

Construction of the lead Type 039A commenced in the early 2000s at Wuchang Shipbuilding in Wuhan, and the boat entered service around the mid-2000s, marking the PLAN’s first operational AIP submarine. Subsequent batches introduced the 039B with refined hull features and systems, followed by the 039C, which broke cover with a distinctive faceted sail. The development program coincided with a deliberate PLAN shift toward quiet conventional platforms for near-sea control; production has been continuous, with roughly 21 boats in service by late 2025, a figure cited by the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Export derivatives were developed in parallel: Pakistan’s Hangor class (Type 039B base) and Thailand’s S26T, which adopted a Chinese diesel engine after European export controls intervened.

🔒 The rest of the Type 039 Yuan file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Stop here and you miss the part that actually matters: how it performs and where it falls short, its combat record, how it stacks up head-to-head against its real counterparts, the complete specifications table, and our analysts’ procurement, supplier and assessment notes. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →