China says it launched a missile from a nuclear submarine — The Japan Times

China said it involved third-generation nuclear submarines in a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean in July. This is Beijing’s first official confirmation of the use of its newest submarines for such a launch, The Japan Times reports.

Xinhua statement

The state-run Xinhua news agency said that the Changzheng series of nuclear submarines had reached the third generation and successfully conducted a test launch of a strategic missile from a submarine. The report was accompanied by a photograph of the July test.

According to the publication, the launch demonstrated the maritime component of China’s nuclear triad and prompted criticism from countries in the region, including Japan and Australia. Before July, China had conducted only two publicly known tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Pacific Ocean, and both were land-based.

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Missile type not disclosed

The People’s Liberation Army of China did not name the type of missile or submarine used in July. Analysts had previously suggested that the launch could have been carried out by a Type 094 submarine, a second-generation nuclear submarine that has been in service for nearly a decade.

Unverified photos of submarines also circulated online, which analysts describe as Type 095 attack submarines and Type 096 missile-carrying submarines. Beijing has officially confirmed only the existence of the Type 095, although its deployment had not previously been known. Commercial satellite imagery also indicates that two new types of submarines were launched this year at the Jiangnan and Huludao shipyards.