OVERVIEW:The Type 039C submarine (NATO reporting name: Yuan-class) is a class of diesel-electric submarine in China's People's Liberation Army Navy.

DETAILS:The Yuan incorporates lessons from the PLAN's experience with the Kilo. The Yuan incorporates some of the best features of the Song and the Kilo. The Yuan class has a tail with diving planes similar to those of the Type 039G, and a Kilo-style teardrop shaped hull with a raised hump on top. The Yuan has the raised decking/casing of the Kilo, the high freeboard and reserve bouyancy, a similarly-shaped bow (and torpedo tube disposition), but with the sail, propeller layout and stern section of the Song. It has also been suggested that the new submarine may be comparable to the improved variant of the Russian Kilo class (Project 636) in terms of size and general performance.

039C:
The fourth variant of the Yuan has been first publicized in December 2013, with a modified hull and redesigned conning tower with extrusion at the root of the conning tower in both the bow and stern direction, similar to that of conning tower of Virginia-class submarine. In addition, the bulge housing unknown sensor on board Type 039B in the forward section of the top edge of the conning tower is absent on the new boat launched in April 2014, but there are three white lines at the top of edge of the conning tower on both sides, presumably for environmental sensors. This new boat is claimed to be an upgraded variant of Type 039B

SOURCES:"Yuan Type 039A Type 041." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Accessed September 9, 2017. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/yuan.htm.Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. "Type 039A Submarine - Wikipedia." n.d. Accessed September 9, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_039A_submarine. 
