China's most mysterious military academy' recruits women for first time

Beijing [China], July 27: The South China Morning Post reported on the evening of July 26 that for the first time in 72 years, China's top naval submarine training academy has recruited 10 female students for its undergraduate program.
According to a notice posted on social media by the PLA Navy Submarine Academy of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the middle of the week, the 10 female students who scored high in this year's college entrance exam in China have been accepted by the academy. Among them is a female student named Yang Jingyue from Jiangsu Province (China), who scored 652/750 points in the college entrance exam.
The PLA Navy Submarine Academy was founded in 1953 and began undergraduate training in 1956, master's in 1987 and doctoral in 2003, according to the academy's website.
Located in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, the PLA Navy Submarine Academy is a higher education institution specializing in training talents for the Chinese navy's submarine force, rescue operations, and new underwater combat capabilities.
The academy has been dubbed "China's most secretive military academy," according to China Central Television (CCTV). Despite its importance, the academy barely makes the news.
Students at the academy undergo rigorous training, according to CCTV. For example, sonar operators must be able to distinguish the sounds of different types of ships, moving in different directions at different speeds and in different seasonal water conditions.
Submarine crews must master skills such as damage control and emergency escapes. During daily training, they crawl through torpedo tubes connected to deep-diving tanks to simulate the physical pressures of an underwater escape.
The number of women serving in the military worldwide is significantly lower than that of men, especially on submarines .
In the US, there are currently 712 women assigned to serve on submarines, accounting for less than 5% of the total submarine force of more than 15,000 people, according to the Military Times . However, the US Navy is expected to appoint the first female submarine commander in 2028.