12th May 2020 – (Taiwan) The COVID-19 epidemic has strained Sino-US relations. The two nations have once again launched a military confrontation against each other. The recent series of military operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea have further escalated the regional situation. Recently, a video of a test launch of the “JL-3 intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile ” has been circulating online, which has once again attracted world attention to the development of China’s nuclear weapons.
The JL-3 is a Chinese third-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile in development. It will likely deploy on the Type 096, a predicted future class of Chinese ballistic missile submarine. The missile is solid-fueled and has a reported range of over 9,000 km. It is reported that it can carry up to 10 sub-guided nuclear warheads. U.S., Europe, India and Russia are within their range.
Judging from the platform of the current three test launches, it is believed that the Type 094 or Type 032 ballistic missile submarine can also carry it. The PLA’s active strategic nuclear submarine is Type 094, which can carry 16 JL-2s with a range of about 7,000 kilometres. However, some Russian military experts have analysed that JL-2 has insufficient range. If a nuclear strike is to be used against the United States, a submarine carrying missiles needs to sail out of China’s offshore, increasing the risk of launching.
A report quoted recently that the two upgraded versions of the 094 were recently commissioned. They are equipped with better radar, sonar and torpedo technologies, which greatly improves China’s underwater combat capability. It is reported that the new-generation strategic nuclear submarine Type 096 is in the research and development stage, and the outside world believes that it can carry 24 JL-3 types.