This is CBS, Eye on the World. I'm John Batchel.

Gordon Chang, my colleague and co-host, and we're very, very happy to welcome Bill Gertz,

National Security correspondent for the Washington Times,

author most recently of Deceiving the Sky, Inside Communist China's drive for global supremacy.

Part of that global supremacy must involve the submarine fleet.

The U.S. Navy submarine fleet, first rate, is an inadequate word.

It's the best in the solar system and has been for decades.

However, the PLA Navy has ambitions, and I learned from Mr. Gertz, there's such a

class of submarine called Shang Three. Bill, a very good evening to you. These new Chinese

submarines, how do they compare and contrast to the U.S. Navy, and what is their mission? Good evening to you.

Good evening. Thanks, John. It's always great to be here, Gordon. Hi. This is a new development

that I was able to disclose this recently in my Washington Times column. And it involves

development of a new undersea warfare capability by the PLA Navy.

And in particular, they're called SSGNs, which stands for nuclear-powered attack submarines conventionally armed missiles or nuclear armed.

But they're basically cruise missile shooters, and this is the first time they've developed

three of these.

They're in the water, and they're undergoing sea trials and could be deployed as soon as the

end of the year, which is next month or early in 2025.

And it gives the Chinese Navy a unique capability, which they really fear from the United

States. A number of years ago, the U.S. Navy converted four of its Ohio-class nuclear missile,

ballistic missile submarines, into cruise missile shooters. And the Chinese definitely fear these submarines, these four submarines.

They did an exercise back in 2010 after the Chinese conducted some missile tests.

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