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Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
Nuclear weapons continue to be a topic of tension in the modern world, particularly with concerns from the US and its partners over Iran's nuclear development programme, which Iran says is for medical and industrial use only. Such armaments can be delivered by intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have with a range of over 5,500km (3,400 miles).
JL-3 submarine-launched missiles mounted on armoured vehicles are unveiled at a massive military parade in Beijing in September 2025. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

Why China’s JL-3 made waves with first sub-based missile test in over 40 years

The weapon is capable of striking targets in the continental US from Chinese waters, making it a key element of Beijing’s nuclear strategy.

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China's military weapons

China signals buildout of nuclear missile silos for ‘strategic trump cards’

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China's military weapons

China’s military modernisation

China’s military

The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

From revolutionary group to hi-tech machine, the PLA’s transformation has been a long pursuit of strength and self-reliance.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
US-China relations

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on US’ decline and China’s nuclear arsenal

Zhou Bo of Tsinghua University weighs US’ commitment to Taiwan, how big a nuclear deterrent China needs and the risks of AI warfare.

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Defence

Letters | Missile test shows major-power rivalry is spilling into the Pacific

Readers discuss the fallout of China’s recent missile test, the massive protests in India sparked by exam irregularities, and dwindling sales at the Hong Kong Book Fair.

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Middle East

US unveils civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

Some US lawmakers and Israeli officials fear that such a project could help the kingdom develop nuclear weapons.

Saudi and US flags flutter on a road in Riyadh in May 2025, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Opinion | Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine shows the impotence of nuclear weapons

Having the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal has not helped Russia on the battlefield.

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Ukraine war

Kyiv pounded in Russian missile barrage as air defences run low

At least one person was killed and 16 were wounded, heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences.

China’s military

Opinion | China’s missile test from a submarine is no guarantee of regional stability

Beijing’s ICBM test from a nuclear-powered submarine is a win from a defence perspective but comes with greater responsibilities.

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Illustration: Mario Cameira
Pacific nations

China sends a message to Pacific islands amid unease over missile test

Solomons prime minister has pledged to review China pact while advancing talks on a comprehensive treaty with Australia.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks in Beijing on Tuesday with Rick Houenipwela, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Solomon Islands. Photo: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
China's military weapons

Opinion | China’s missile test is a signal. How non-nuclear states respond matters

The reactions to Beijing’s ‘routine’ exercise put into focus a nuclear order that is rapidly fluctuating from Tehran to Tokyo.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine allies meet in Paris to boost air defence, pressure Russia to end war

The 37-member Coalition of the Willing aims to develop ‘purely defensive’ anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.

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Pacific nations

Opinion | Panic over China’s missile test is born of Western bias

Every nuclear power routinely tests its arsenal. The outcry over Beijing’s launch reveals a glaring double standard.

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A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on Monday. Photo: Xinhua/AP
China’s military drills

The radar system that Taiwan says tracked the PLA’s ballistic missile launch

The Pave Paws early-warning unit detected the launch from waters near the mainland’s southern coast, report says.

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Beijing has not confirmed the type of missile used in the test but a senior Taiwanese security official says it was a JL-2. Photo: Kyodo
China's military weapons

What does China’s submarine missile test mean for its nuclear triad expansion?

More than a technical milestone, undersea launch sends strategic signal to the US and Beijing’s neighbours in Asia-Pacific, analysts say.

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US-China relations

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

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United States

US State Department approves possible sale of Hellfire missiles to Singapore

The US$22.3 million deal aims to strengthen the defences of the city state, which is a key US strategic partner in Asia.

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The Central Business District in Singapore. The US State Department has endorsed the potential sale of AGM-114R Hellfire missiles to the city state. Photo: AP
War and conflict

Opinion | 8 takeaways from the US-Iran war

From the rise of devastating asymmetric warfare to the crumbling of the US maritime hegemony and alliances, the war offers food for thought.

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US-Iran tensions

‘War of words’ won’t stop Iran nuclear inspections, says IAEA

‘We will obviously have to inspect,’ said Rafael Grossi, the boss of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ‘This is going to happen’.

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North Korea

Kim says North Korea to arm navy with nuclear weapons, build bigger warships

The leader is aiming to construct two vessels a year, both of a larger class than the newly commissioned Choe Hon destroyer.

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Sailors salute during the commissioning ceremony of the Choe Hyon warship in the port city of Nampo in North Korea on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

2 wars later, US-Iran nuclear diplomacy returns to square one

Analysts say the new agreement returns to a familiar trade-off: nuclear curbs in exchange for sanctions relief and oil waivers.

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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds a memorandum of understanding document showing his signature and that of US president Donald Trump, in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan, South Korea not for nuclear weapons – until one of them changes policy

Should either take lead in acquiring nuclear weapons, support for such a move in the other country could rise rapidly, new US survey says.

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North Korea

North Korea warns of ‘disaster’ if G7 tries to strip its nuclear weapons

Kim Jong-un’s sister said denuclearisation would never be realised as ⁠North Korea’s weapons were a self-defensive deterrent.

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Australia

China’s direct strike threat to Australia is ‘growing’, think tank report finds

A Lowy Institute report said the main threat to Australia was from Chinese missiles fired from ships, submarines and a new ballistic missile.

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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army launches an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean in 2024. Photo: Chinese People’s Liberation Army News and Communication Centre / AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says deal to end war to be signed on Sunday, but Iran questions timing

Iranian officials and hardline protesters have expressed opposition to the framework agreement.

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An Iranian man walks past a mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, on June 8. Photo: EPA
North Korea

As I see it | Kim Jong-un turns out to be the cleverest of them all

As others exert geopolitical influence based on economic or military might, North Korea’s leader has turned a weaker hand to his advantage.

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US, Israel war on Iran

India summons US diplomat again in rare display of anger over sailors’ killings

US military says the tanker ignored repeated warnings before being disabled for violating the Iran blockade.

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