China launches strategic missile from nuclear submarine into Pacific

A Type 094 Jin-class nuclear submarine seen here in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLAN. (Mark Schiefelbein / Pool / AFP)

China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has launched a strategic missile carrying a simulated warhead from one of its nuclear submarines into the Pacific Ocean.

In a statement issued through state media on 6 July, the PLAN said that the missile landed within a designated impact area in the Pacific Ocean following a launch at 1201 h local time.

The statement provided no details on the missile type, submarine class, or launch location. It said only that “relevant countries” had been notified in advance and that the launch complied with international law and practice and was not directed at any specific country.

The test likely involved either a JL-2 or JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), with the latter appearing the more likely candidate.

China has been progressively modernising its sea-based nuclear deterrent and is assessed to be integrating the longer-ranged JL-3 into its ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) force.

The most plausible platform is a Jin (Type 094) SSBN, the only publicly known operational strategic submarine class in PLAN service.

Although China is believed to be developing or testing the follow-on Type 096 SSBN, there is no publicly available evidence that the class has entered operational service.

As a result, a Type 094 armed with JL-3 missiles is the most likely combination involved in the test, although Beijing has released insufficient information for independent verification.

China is known to operate six Type 094 SSBNs, each capable of carrying up to 12 SLBMs.