The Chinese naval nuclear power program started in July 1958 when the Central Military Commission gave approval to start the 091 submarine project. Mao Zedong declared that China would build nuclear attack submarines even if it took ten thousand years. Peng Shilu was the first chief designer of this project. The first submarine in the class, the Long March I, was commissioned in 1974; the last was launched in 1990. In 1983, Peng shifted from military to civilian sector in application of nuclear power plants and his duty at the nuclear submarine project was succeeded by Huang Xuhua.