Video Shows Chinese Navy Blowing Up Decommissioned Ship With Torpedo

This picture, taken during a media tour organized by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to mark its 75th founding anniversary, shows two submarines at the PLA Naval Museum in Shandong Province, Qingdao, China, on April 23, 2024. The China Navy sank a decommissioned Typo 074 naval vessel, showcasing the strength of its torpedo.

China has released a video showing a decommissioned naval vessel being sunk by a torpedo launched from a submarine.

"At present, our torpedo attack and missile attack have achieved historic breakthroughs in sea verification," China's state news agency, Xinhua, reported on Monday. "This means that our combat capability is stronger, the combat area is wider, and we are more confident when we are used!"

The footage, originally posted on China's X-like social media platform, Weibo, by state-owned China Central Television on June 16, includes scenes from a sinking exercise (SINKEX) or a similar test in which a Type 074 Yuhai-class amphibious landing ship is attacked.

The video appears to have been captured during the 70th anniversary of the Chinese Navy on April 23. It offers a rare glimpse into its submarine weapons capabilities.

One expert said the ship shown in the video is a decommissioned Type 074 landing vessel being attacked with a torpedo.

"A Type 074 LST was used in a SINKEX, getting torpedoed by a PLAN submarine," Alex Luck, an expert on the Chinese Navy, wrote on X.

The video captures the torpedo's detonation and the subsequent "lifting" of the ship, an often catastrophic event that can break a ship's keel. This demonstration provides a rare view of the power and precision of China's submarine weapons.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has set a vision for transforming the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a blue-water navy, which includes developing a formidable fleet of submarines for underwater warfare.

Beijing now boasts the world's largest navy in terms of hull count, and China continues to launch more naval and commercial ships than any other country.

This expanding surface and submarine fleet aligns with Xi's goal of creating a modern fighting force capable of dominating the region by the decade's end.

The War Zone, a defense-focused publication, speculated that a wake homing torpedo was used to target the decommissioned ship. Indicators include the point of impact and the fact that the ship was underway, either by its own power or under tow, when it was struck.

"Wake homing torpedoes are a major threat to any naval force. They are guided by bracketing the ship's wake and literally swimming their way up to the ship's stern — where critical components are often centralized — and detonating," The War Zone reported on June 16.

"As a target, the Type 074 is an interesting choice based on its size and mission set, but hunting and killing landing craft similar to it is certainly within the realm of the PLAN attack submarine's mission," The War Zone reported.

The PLA Navy has 17 Yuan-class submarines in active service across its various fleets. These diesel-electric boats are considered among the quietest classes of submarines.

China has recently launched an advanced submarine that can avoid detection.

The Type 039C, an upgraded variant with a stealth sail to reduce detectability, was first identified by satellite imagery analysts in May 2021. However, the Chinese Navy officially unveiled the new submarine in July of the following year in a ceremony covered by state media.

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