China has expanded the shipyard where its nuclear submarines are built, satellite imagery shows
- It reveals work on a new construction hall at the Bohai facility in Liaoning province, according to report
- Extra shed could mean capacity to build four or five submarines at one time
New satellite analysis has found that China has expanded its capacity for building nuclear-powered submarines at one of its largest shipyards.
The US Naval Institute (USNI) news site reported this week that commercial satellite imagery has revealed work on a new construction hall at the Bohai shipyard – a major site for China’s nuclear submarine programme – that could make room for two additional submarines to be built simultaneously.
The latest hall resembles another one built there in 2015, which is believed to be intended for construction of a new generation of nuclear submarines, according to the report.
This could mean the shipyard will have capacity for four or five submarines in the sheds at one time, including room for two more at the new hall and potentially another one at a third, older construction hall.
00:47
A rare at-sea look at China’s aircraft carrier the Liaoning and fighter jet training
Chinese state media have previously said that the Bohai shipyard, located at the Huludao port off the coast of northeastern Liaoning province, was the site where China constructed its Type 096 nuclear ballistic missile submarine and the Type 095 nuclear attack submarine.