China successfully tested JL-3 latest submarine-launched ballistic missile.

The scheduled test was normal, China's Ministry of National Defence said on 14 Nov., when asked about the alleged test launch of a JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on June 2, state-run Global Times reported.

China plans a large increase of its submarine fleet (Picture source: Handout via SCMP)

JL-3 is China's latest SLBM under development. It is expected to reach targets farther away with higher accuracy and capable of carrying more warheads than China's current SLBMs. Its range is 5,600 miles, longer than its JL-2 predecessor which had a range of 4,350 miles. For instance, the JL-3 is able to travel across the Pacific Ocean and destroy San Francisco. It would be capable of striking anywhere in the US, including New York and Washington DC on the East Coast. It was unveiled in Bohai Bay, east of Beijing, in the Yellow Sea last month, sources said. Notice that the US Trident II, which is also deployed by the UK, has a far superior range beating the JL-3 by around 2,000 miles.

The JL-3 missiles can be launched by the country’s Jin Class submarine which can already be armed with a firefighting 24 JL-2 missiles. Four such subs are believed to be currently operational in the Chinese navy. According to a recent Pentagon report, the China plans to build a next generation of sub that will be able to carry 24 JL-3s.