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China Tests Submarine-Launched Missile for First Time
China fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific this week. The launch marked the first submarine-based test of its long-range missile arsenal in two years.
Jul 9, 3:00 PM·1m read4 sources
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China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific earlier this week. The test was the first time in two years that Beijing tested its long-range missile arsenal and the first time it launched such a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine.
The exact missile type has not been confirmed by Beijing. Experts quoted in Chinese state media said the launch involved the JL-3 missile, which was first displayed publicly at a military parade in Beijing last year. The missile's estimated range is about 10,000 kilometres.
and Nuclear Triad China's Defence
Ministry stated the test was a routine training exercise and not aimed at any specific country. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said China maintains its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security and follows a defensive national defence policy.
Jennifer Parker from the University of Western Australia's Defence and Security Institute said the test demonstrated China's achievement of a nuclear triad. She noted that China now possesses the ability to launch nuclear weapons from air, surface, and sea platforms.
Parker added that China has developed a continuous at-sea deterrent, allowing nuclear-powered submarines to remain at sea year-round. She said the missile range means distance no longer provides protection for countries such as Australia.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies reported that Beijing has tripled its nuclear arsenal from 200 weapons to over 600 in the last six years. The Pentagon estimates the total will exceed 1,000 nuclear missiles by 2030. CSIS also found that the People's Liberation Army has built the world's largest arsenal of ground-based conventional and dual-use missiles.
The PLA Navy has surpassed the U.S. Navy in the number of battle force ships. Defence spending has increased 13-fold in the last 30 years, according to CSIS. China aims to transform the PLA into a modern force by 2027 and a world-class military by 2050.
