Russian submarine tech could help China outpace US: INDOPACOM

Russia will likely provide technology to help China build 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 percent 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 have more advanced submarines. The reason: The entire U.S. submarine fleet is nuclear-powered, whereas China’s subs are primarily diesel, which is less safe and requires more regular refueling. But China is moving quickly to produce more nuclear submarines, though it has seen some notable mishaps.

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

Paparo said he expects “Russia to provide missile technology and submarine technology to North Korea,” echoing similar concerns voiced by South Korean defense officials last month.

The United States is responding to that possibility by deepening its relationship with partners in the region with 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.