we have been counting: China has transformed its naval power away from the most visible spotlights for years, constantly advancing technologies that prioritize stealth, persistence and the ability to deny access to the adversary. While international attention was focused on aircraft carriers and large surface ships, a silent evolution has been brewing under the sea that now points to a profound change in the way force is projected and conflict resolved.
The unexpected weapon. Yes, far from the classic idea of aircraft carriers or strategic bombers, China’s last great leap in naval warfare has not come since the most visible platformsbut from its conventional submarines, discreet and until now considered secondary to nuclear power.
The incorporation of the missile YJ-19 anti-ship hypersonic to diesel-electric submarines with air-independent propulsion has turned these “ordinary” units into a threat capable of change the rules of the gamecombining extreme stealth with a strike capability designed to overcome the most advanced naval defenses and project lethal power without warning.
From conventional submarine to hypersonic hunter. He YJ-19 missilepresented publicly in 2025 and now accepted for operational service, represents a qualitative leap compared to the previous YJ-18 by raising the speed of the attack to the hypersonic threshold or, in other words, it has multiplied the difficulty of detection and interception.
Integrated in The Type-039B of the Yuan class, the backbone of the Chinese conventional submarine fleet, this missile transforms these vessels into the only non-nuclear submarines in the world armed with a system of this type, a move that radically reinforces the maritime denial capacity of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and places at its AIP fleet in a league of its own within the global naval balance.
The silent advantage of torpedo tubes. The technical key that explains the disruptive nature of the YJ-19 missiles is not only in their speed, obviously, but in their compatibility with torpedo tubesstandard horizontal s of 533 millimeters, a ability which allows existing submarines to be modernized without practically having to resort to complex vertical launch systems.
This decision saves costs, as it makes deployment cheaper, faster and more widespread, allowing, for example, a large fleet of silent submarines to launch hypersonic attacks. from hidden positionssomething that other powers cannot easily replicate with their conventional submarines.
A conventional fleet as a strategic weapon. It is another of the legs that emerges after the movement. Thanks to the AIP propulsionthe Yuan can remain submerged for long periods at low speed, which allows their acoustic signal to be reduced and can operate in coastal waters or areas with restricted access.
Therefore, now armed with missiles specifically designed to pierce modern naval defenses, these submarines have ceased to be simple tactical platforms and have become authentic strategic multiplierscapable of threatening entire combat groups and imposing unaffordable costs on any naval force operating near the Chinese coast.
Taiwan in the background. The last reading of the advance is possibly the most obvious in terms of the future. If Beijing decided to move towards an open conflict over to the island of Taiwanthe incorporation of the YJ-19 to AIP submarines would deep implications: would allow establishing a lethal maritime encirclement without the need to expose large surface units, making it difficult for allied fleets to intervene and increasing the risk for any attempt to break a blockade.
In this way, the silent, dispersed submarines armed with hypersonic missiles could attack ships, port infrastructure or even supply lines with little room for reaction, turning the sea surrounding the island into an extremely hostile environment and reinforcing the Chinese strategy of area denial from the shadow
Image | CCTV, SteKrueBe
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