| Julang-3 (JL-3) | |
|---|---|
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2022 |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | MIRV |
| Propellant | Solid-fuel rocket |
| Operational range | >5,400 nmi (10,000 km) |
| 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) is a Chinese third-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It arms the Type 094 submarine, and is expected to arm the future Type 096.
History
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. 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.
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.
In November 2022, the United States Navy reported that the Type 094 was rearmed with the JL-3.
Description
The JL-3 is reported as a solid-fueled missile with ranges of over 9,000 km (5,600 mi) or 10,000 km (6,200 mi).
The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports the likely payload to be three MIRV nuclear warheads.
References
- ^ United States Department of Defense (19 October 2023). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2023 (PDF) (Report). p. 55. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Capaccio, Anthony (18 November 2022). "China Has Put Longer-Range ICBMs on Its Nuclear Subs, US Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ Shaikh, Shaan (21 December 2018). "China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBM". Missile Threat. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
- "How is China Modernizing its Nuclear Forces?". Center for Strategic and International Studies. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2023.