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Alcott Wei

Gabriel Dominguez

A nuclear-powered People’s Liberation Army submarine fired a test missile into the Pacific on Monday, according to Chinese state media.
The dummy warhead was fired at 12.01pm, state news agency Xinhua said.
“It precisely landed in the designated waters,” it added.
China’s foreign ministry described the launch as a “routine arrangement” for the PLA’s annual military training, adding that it was in accordance with international law and practice, and was “not directed against any specific country or target”.
The test was China’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to have been fired from a nuclear-powered submarine.
The US House Select Committee on China described it as an act of “aggression” towards US allies and other “like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific”.
“China’s long-range ballistic missile launch wasn’t just a routine drill,” it posted on social media.
“As China races to have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, we must have a defence industrial base that supports deterrence against China and helps our allies and partners defend themselves,” it added.
The White House, Pentagon and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
The governments of Japan and Australia confirmed they had been given advance notice of the launch.
Australian ⁠Foreign ⁠Minister Penny Wong said the launch was “destabilising” to the region.
“Australia has been clear that this ‌proposed test is ⁠in ⁠the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which ‌is lacking in ‌the transparency ‌and reassurance as ⁠to intent that the region expects,” she said.
Tokyo expressed “serious concerns” over the test firing, with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara accusing Beijing of “expanding and intensifying” its military activities, including around Japan.
“Such military actions, coupled with a lack of transparency, are a serious concern for Japan and the international community,” he said.
According to Agence France-Presse, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand were also alerted ahead of the launch.


James Acton, the co-director of the Nuclear Policy Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that all nuclear-armed states test missiles and said the appropriate response was “calm determination”.
“Look, as an American, I’d rather China didn’t augment its military capabilities,” he wrote on social media.
“But all nuclear-armed states (and many others!) test missiles and the US, France, and UK all test into an ocean, the Atlantic. So what is the point of this hyperventilating?”
Nuclear-powered submarines typically have a longer operational range and deployment period compared with conventional submarines.
Ballistic missile submarines are designed for stealth and usually deployed on their own, distinguishing them from attack submarines, which play a major role in aircraft carrier strike groups.
Powered by nuclear reactors, these vessels do not require frequent refuelling or external oxygen, allowing them to spend months in the deep ocean on standby for potential nuclear strikes.
Nuclear-powered submarines are considered a core part of a country’s second-strike capability, meaning its ability to strike back after coming under attack by a nuclear weapon.
Experts said Beijing was probably signalling its nuclear survivability to Washington.
“The primary audience is likely the United States, but Japan, Australia and other regional partners are also important recipients,” said Misato Matsuoka, an associate professor and US-Japan alliance expert at Teikyo University in Tokyo.
“For the United States, the message is that China’s sea-based nuclear deterrent has become increasingly credible and survivable. For Japan and Australia, the signal is broader than direct nuclear deterrence.”
Fu Qianshao, a military analyst and former Chinese air force officer, said the test aimed to verify the PLA’s advanced submarine-launched strategic missile capabilities.
He said that a public test launch could demonstrate the maturity of China’s second-strike nuclear capability and reinforce its credible second-strike capability to the rest of the world. Fu added that the main function of submarine-launched nuclear forces was as a means of nuclear retaliation.
Some analysts said the test served as proof that China’s military stood ready despite an anti-corruption campaign that has inflicted a heavy toll on the PLA’s leadership.
“The Chinese military has gone through a prolonged period of political intervention with many in the West questioning its operational readiness, particularly after several high-ranking generals and other officials were purged,” said Sebastian Maslow, an associate professor and international security expert at the University of Tokyo.
“Today’s test serves as evidence that its military is indeed capable of conducting complex operations.”
He added that the test might aim to “counter growing defence cooperation in the region to contain China”.
He noted that the test missile was fired ahead of the Nato summit, set to begin on Tuesday in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
“In addition, the test comes as the US is entangled in military operations in the Middle East. Thus Beijing appears to challenge the current parameters of US-led regional defence cooperation in the Pacific,” Maslow said.
It is unknown which type of submarine launched the missile. China’s main battle nuclear submarine is the Type 094. Beijing operates at least six of the vessels, which are considered ideal for deployment near the South China Sea.
These submarines are capable of firing JL-2 missiles, and possibly the more sophisticated JL-3 missiles, which can strike US territory from Chinese shores.
China’s more advanced nuclear submarine, the Type 095, was spotted for the first time earlier this year. The PLA is understood to be developing the even more advanced Type 096 submarine.
In September 2024, China conducted its first test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in 44 years, carrying a simulated warhead into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Beijing notified the US military beforehand.
Over the past five years, Britain, the US, France, India and Russia have also carried out tests of submarine-launched strategic missiles.


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Military

It is the PLA’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to be fired from a nuclear-powered submarine


It is the PLA’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to be fired from a nuclear-powered submarine.


China’s submarines

China’s military

Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific, sending second-strike signal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}It is the PLA’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to be fired from a nuclear-powered submarine

It is the PLA’s first known submarine-based missile test since 1982, and the first known to be fired from a nuclear-powered submarine