JL-3
| Julang-3 (JL-3) | |
|---|---|
_Class_Ballistic_Missile_Submarine.JPG) Jin (type 94) class ballistic missile submarine | |
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2022 |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | ~50,000 kilograms (110,000 lb) |
| Warhead | Thermonuclear
|
| Blast yield | 3 megatons of TNT (13 PJ) (non-MIRV warhead) single, or 10 × 300kT MIRVs [1][2] |
| Propellant | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 11,000–13,000 km (6,800–8,100 mi)[3] |
Guidance system | Astro-inertial with Beidou |
Launch platform | Type 094 submarine |
The JL-3 (Chinese: 巨浪-3; pinyin: Jù Làng Sān; lit. 'Giant Wave 3'; NATO reporting name: CSS-NX-20[4]) is a Chinese third-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It may arm the Type 094 submarine and is expected to arm the future Type 096.[4]
History
[edit]The first test flight occurred on 24 November 2018 in the Bohai Sea; it was likely a test of the launch tube's cold-launch ejection system.[5] According to anonymous Chinese sources, the Type 032 submarine made the first three test launches, with a Type 094 making the fourth in December 2019.[6]
In 2020, anonymous Chinese sources reported that development of the JL-3 and Type 096 had been decoupled to speed up missile development, and that it would take at least five years to integrate the missile with the submarine.[6]
By 2022, the Type 094 may have been rearmed with the JL-3.[4][7]
The missile officially debuted at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade.[8]
Description
[edit]The JL-3 is reported as a solid-fueled missile with ranges of over 9,000 km (5,600 mi)[5] or 5,400 nmi (10,000 km),[9] capable of reaching parts of contiguous United States when launched from China's coastal waters.[8]
The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports the likely payload to be three MIRV nuclear warheads.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Nuclear Weapons Yield Comparison". Retrieved May 17, 2026.}
- ^ Deb, Kushal (27 June 2025). "India's answer to China's JL 3: Know all about the faster, deadlier and stealthier K-6 hypersonic missile". Retrieved May 17, 2026.}
- ^ Wright, Timothy (13 January 2023). "China beyond minimum deterrence; reading Beijing's nuclear developments". Retrieved May 17, 2026.}
- ^ a b c United States Department of Defense (29 November 2022). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2022 (PDF) (Report). p. 96. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ a b Shaikh, Shaan (21 December 2018). "China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBM". Missile Threat. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ a b Chan, Minnie (January 4, 2020). "China nuclear missile development steps up a gear with test of weapon capable of hitting US mainland". South China Morning Post.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024, p. 104.
- ^ a b Chan, Ryan (3 September 2025). "China Unveils New Nuclear Missiles for 'Global' Reach". Newsweek.
- ^ Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024, p. 56.
- ^ "How is China Modernizing its Nuclear Forces?". Center for Strategic and International Studies. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
