China has surpassed Russia as the world’s second-largest operator of nuclear-powered submarines, positioning itself just behind the United States.
Citing an updated 2026 assessment, the site Defence Blog revealed that China has around 32 active nuclear submarines, exceeding Russia’s 25 to 28 operational vessels.
According to the report, China currently operates nine attack submarines of the Shang Type 093/093A class, forming the core of its nuclear-powered attack fleet.
Analysts also noted that these nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) represent China’s fully deployed multi-mission submarine inventory.
China is heavily investing in its Type 093/093A submarine fleet. The report cites 16 vessels, with some already operational while others are undergoing sea trials.
The country also maintains a fleet of nine SSBNs of the Jin Type 094/094A class, one Type 095 SSN under early assembly, while the first Type 096 SSBN is under construction.
As a result, China has 32 active nuclear submarines in 2026, according to the updated report, not counting vessels still under construction.
For comparison, the assessment indicates that the Russian Navy currently operates approximately 25 to 28 active nuclear-powered submarines.
Meanwhile, the U.S. remains far ahead. The U.S. Navy currently has a fleet of around 71 nuclear-powered submarines.
This includes approximately 53 fast attack submarines (SSN), 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), and four guided-missile submarines (SSGN).
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