The Type 039A Yuan-class is a Chinese air-independent-propulsion diesel-electric attack submarine class built for the People's Liberation Army Navy. Reputable reference and defense reporting describe it as the PLAN's first AIP-equipped conventional submarine family, with later variants and export derivatives built around the same Yuan design line.
Open-source references describe the Yuan class as a PLAN conventional attack submarine family with air-independent propulsion, and they connect it to the earlier Song-class design line. Wikimedia Commons also catalogs Type 039A imagery under a dedicated media category, which helps identify representative public images for the page.
| Program fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AIP fit | Diesel-electric attack submarine class with air-independent propulsion | Yuan Type 039A Type 041 |
| Lineage | Follow-on conventional submarine family after the Song class | Yuan Type 039A Type 041 |
| Image archive | Dedicated Wikimedia Commons category for Type 039A submarines | Category:Type 039A submarines |
