The Type 039G, also known as the Song class in Western sources, is a Chinese diesel-electric destroyer submarine (DDS) built at shipyards in Wuhan and Shanghai in the People's Republic of China. The first units of this type entered service in 1998 and are still in service. It is estimated that there are 12-13 ships of this class in the line. The Song class ships have a length of 74.9 m, a width of 8.4 m and a displacement of 2,250 tons. The maximum underwater speed is up to 22 knots. The main armament is six 533 mm torpedo tubes, the ship carries 18 torpedoes of this caliber or 36 naval mines.
The Type 039G was the first type of submarine to be completely developed by Chinese shipyards and domestic engineers. It entered the line to complement, but also partially replace, the Type 035 submarines. Unlike its predecessors, the Song class has a different hull shape, which guarantees better hydrodynamic properties, resulting in a higher submerged speed, which is 4 knots higher. It can also be assumed that the Type 039G has much richer electronic equipment, especially sonar, as well as improved electric and diesel engines. The Type 039G ships are gradually being replaced in the Chinese Navy by the Type 039A, also known as the Yuan class.
