DECRYPTION – The first “Zhou” class unit is believed to have sunk alongside a dock in the Wuchang shipyard near Wuhan, according to satellite images and US statements.
The naval chronicle in China is traditionally a long litany of new ships admitted to active service, so much so that the Chinese fleet has in a few years become the first navy in the world in terms of number of ships, even surpassing the US Navy. This time, however, it is a serious setback that she is suffering and which could have serious consequences in the future. Under construction at the Wuchang shipyard, near Wuhan, the first unit of the brand new class of nuclear attack submarine called Zhou would have sunk in the spring of 2024 while the building was moored along a quay, according to the analysis of satellite images produced by the company Planet Lab and the assertions of American security sources cited on Wall Street Journal then by Reuters. Not surprisingly, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States explained that“he didn’t know” of such a shipwreck.
It all started on July 16 when a…
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