Russian submarine tech could help China out-pace the US, says INDOPACOM chief

Russia will most likely provide the technology to help China build new and better submarines, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Saturday. 

“That has the potential of closing American undersea dominance to the PRC,” Adm. Sam Paparo said during the Halifax Security Forum. 

The growing partnership between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran is making each of them more dangerous, he said. While Russia is receiving cash from China in exchange for oil, the two are also exchanging technology. 

The “PRC has rebuilt, helped to rebuild Russia’s war machine, with 90% of its semiconductors and 70% of the machine tools that have rebuilt that war machine,” Paparo said.

While China boasts a larger navy than the United States, the U.S. Navy is generally considered to be more advanced when it comes to submarines. The reason: The entire U.S.  submarine fleet is nuclear powered, whereas China’s sub fleet is primarily diesel, which is less safe and requires more regular refueling. But China is moving ahead quickly with the production of more nuclear-powered submarines, though it has seen some notable mishaps, including the sinking of one of those nuclear submarines earlier this year.  

“This is a dangerous environment, and this is adding complexity to the environment itself,” Paparo said.

South Korean defense officials said in October that they also anticipate that Russia will exchange missile technology with North Korea. Paparo reiterated those concerns Saturday, saying he expects “Russia to provide missile technology and submarine technology to North Korea.”

The United States is responding to that possibility by deepening its relationship with partners in the region via joint efforts and intelligence sharing, he said, and encouraging those partners—such as Japan and South Korea—to collaborate more with one another as well.