China begins outfitting ‘sail-less' submarine at Jiangnan shipyard

Vantor imagery shows a sailless PLAN submarine at Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard in China. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor/© 2026 Janes)

Latest satellite imagery indicates that the ‘sail-less' Chinese submarine first spotted at the Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard in May 2026 is now undergoing waterside outfitting.

In the imagery, the vessel can be seen positioned alongside a fitting-out quay with what appears to be scaffolding over parts of its hull.

The submarine is enclosed by a floating boom deployed in a semi-circular pattern, apparently intended to secure the immediate area while outfitting work is under way.

The imagery provides the clearest indication yet that work is continuing on the boat, which bears a form factor that differs markedly from existing People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) conventional and nuclear-powered submarines.

Based on measurements derived from satellite imagery, the vessel is approximately 120 m in length, making it larger than China's existing conventional submarines and comparable in overall size to a nuclear-powered submarine.

The submarine's most distinctive feature is the apparent absence of a conventional sail or fin structure.

The imagery also suggests the possible adoption of an X-shaped stern control surface arrangement, although the exact configuration cannot be confirmed definitively from overhead imagery.

This absence, or extreme reduction, of the sail would represent a significant departure from established submarine design practice.

The sail of a submarine typically houses masts, communications equipment, periscopes and bridge facilities, but it is also a major source of hydrodynamic drag.

Reducing the size of this structure, or eliminating it entirely, could increase hydrodynamic efficiency and reduce flow noise generated as water passes around the submarine's upper hull.