{
  "id": "type-033",
  "name": "Type 033 Class (Romeo Class)",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "naval",
  "country": "CHN",
  "category": "Diesel-electric submarine",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 1962,
  "operators": [
    "CHN"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 1,
  "summary": "Chinese Type 033 Romeo-class Under the 1950 Sino-Soviet Friendship and Mutual Assistance Treaty, the Soviets passed to China (and later to North Korea) the documentation necessary to produce Romeo submarines in 1963. The Chinese variant is known as the Type 033 Romeo.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "crew",
      "v": 65,
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "length_m",
      "v": 76.6,
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "beam_m",
      "v": 6.7,
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Draft",
      "section": "dims",
      "v": "5.0 m",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Displacement (surface)",
      "section": "dims",
      "v": "1,319 tons surface",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "displacement_t",
      "v": 1830,
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Displacement (submerged)"
    },
    {
      "k": "propulsion",
      "v": "Type 37D",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Engine power",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "2,700 total bhp; 2 shafts hp",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Radars and sonars",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x Snoop Plate",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Name",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "1 x 1 Herkules or Tamir-5L high-frequency active/passive search and attack",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "NBC Water Washdown System",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Electronic Warfare",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "1 CEIEC Model 92A intercept",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Torpedo Launcher: number of tubes",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "8 533-mm tubes (6 fwd; 2 aft)",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Mines",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "Can carry 28 mines in lieu of torpedoes",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "v": "SAET-60; Yu-1",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "SAET-60",
      "role": "Heavy Weight Torpedo",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Heavy Weight Torpedo",
        "Guidance": "Homing Passive acoustic homing",
        "Speed": "42 kt",
        "Length": "7.80 m"
      },
      "range_km": 13,
      "qty": "14"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yu-1",
      "role": "Torpedo",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Torpedo",
        "Guidance": "Straight running gyroscopic, later upgraded to passive acoustic homing",
        "Warhead weight": "400 kg",
        "Speed": "39 to 50 knots",
        "Length": "7.8 m"
      },
      "range_km": 4
    }
  ],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Project 633 Class; NATO: Romeo Class",
      "text": "Under the 1950 Sino-Soviet Friendship and Mutual Assistance Treaty, the Soviets passed to China (and later to North Korea) the documentation necessary to produce Romeo submarines in 1963. The Chinese variant is known as the Type 033 Romeo.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Type 6633",
      "text": "Original Chinese built Romeo, China was to have assembled these Romeos from knock-down kits provided by the Soviet Union, 6 were planned, but only 2 were completed.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Type 033",
      "text": "Complete domestic production in China was achieved in 1967, and subsequently the project was renamed the Type 033. However, experience from deployment of completed boats in warmer climates proved that the original Soviet refrigeration and air conditioning…",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "ES5A",
      "text": "Upgraded Type 033, with improvements mainly involving the replacement of equipment of Soviet origin with domestic Chinese systems, which includes: QZHA―10 (Type 779) attack periscope and QDYA―10 (Type 778) general purpose periscope.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Type 033G",
      "text": "Development of the ES5A, with the incorporation of the capability to launch acoustic homing torpedoes; analog computers installed to achieve automation of, and speeding up of, torpedo fire control calculations that were previously manually calculated.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Type 033G1",
      "text": "A single Type 033G was modified to carry 6 YJ-1 (CSS-N-4) anti-ship missiles, this variant is called Type 033G1, with the rumored NATO reporting name of Wuhan A.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "ES5B",
      "text": "Development of the Type 033G, primarily intended for export. This is an upgrade package for Romeo submarine users. The primary improvement of this class is the ability to launch wire guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles (AShM) while submerged.",
      "src": [
        "weg-type-033"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "art": "submarine",
  "image": {
    "file": "type-033.jpg",
    "thumb": "type-033-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Cjsy2026",
    "license": "CC0",
    "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E6%B5%99%E6%B1%9F%E5%8F%B0%E5%B7%9E349%E6%BD%9C%E8%89%87.jpg",
    "title": "File:浙江台州349潜艇.jpg"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Added photo (CC0)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/type-033.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-type-033": {
      "title": "Type 033 Class (Romeo Class) Chinese Diesel-Electric Submarine",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/Type_033_Class_Romeo_Class_Chinese_Diesel-Electric_Submarine",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}