China’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines are more regional than strategic, but the SSBNs still pack a punch. These boomers are important for China’s nuclear triad, project power, and the promotion of deterrence in East Asia.
They can threaten Japan, South Korea, and Guam with ease and could also use nuclear ballistic missiles to strike Hawaii and Alaska. However, the continental United States is a stretch of its limited range. A new SSBN and submarine-launched ballistic missile is capable of hitting North America to better enhance the robust nuclear threat from China.
Ohio-Class SSBN. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Six SSBNs Are Not High In Numbers, But Ares Still a Concern
The Chinese currently have six SSBNs, known as the Type 094 Jin-class. This is the only vessel in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fleet that can carry nuclear weapons. There are four Type 094 Jin-class boomers and two Type 094A variants. The Jin-class originated in the early 2000s. The newest Chinese SSBN became operational in 2021 and was commissioned by Xi Jinping.
The Submarine-Launched Nuclear Missiles Are Older But Powerful
Type 094 and Type 094A subs carry 12 Julang-2 (JL-2) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). This is still considered a limited-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This SLBM is old, having its origins dating back to 1970, with the advent of the DF-31 land-based ICBM. The modernized JL-2 replaced the older JL-1 SLBMs on the outdated Xia-class Type 092 submarine.
The JL-2 SLBM is over 42 feet long, and the diameter is six feet. They weigh more than 92,000 pounds when launched. The warhead is one mega-ton, and there is the option for MIRVs or Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle. These are for multiple targets per launch. The range of the JL-2 SLBM is between 5 to 6,000 miles. The SLBM’s propulsion system comprises a three-stage solid propellant motor.
But the Current Force of Type 094 SSBNs Are Louder Than Ohio-class
The Type 094 Jin-class has disadvantages and is not as good as the American Ohio-class SSBNs. The Type 094 is “two orders of magnitude louder than current U.S. and Russian boomers,” according to CSIS.
The Jin-class is even noisier than Russia’s old Delta III SSBNs from the 1970s. Although the Type 094A is more stealthy than the Type 094, it can still be detected by American and Russian anti-submarine detection systems.
Watch Out For the New Type 096 Boomer
However, China is developing its modernized Type 096 boomer, which will also carry the new JL-3 SLBM. This revitalized effort is one to watch and will give the PLAN something to write home about. The Type 096 could be compared favorably to the US Navy Ohio-class, and the PLAN is working to make it a reality.
Two new Type 096 boats could be operational by 2030. The SSBN will launch the next-generation JL-3 SLBM, which can reach the continental United States. The JL-3 has a range of 6,200 miles and was first tested in 2018. It will soon be deployed on the older Type 094 and Type 094A boomers.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. (Aug. 14, 2003) — USS Ohio (SSGN 726) is in dry dock undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. Ohio has been out of service since Oct. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Four Ohio-class strategic missile submarines, USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727) USS Florida (SSBN 728), and USS Georgia (SSBN 729) have been selected for transformation into a new platform, designated SSGN. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. The 22 missile tubes also will provide the capability to carry other payloads, such as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Special Forces equipment. This new platform will also have the capability to carry and support more than 66 Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and insert them clandestinely into potential conflict areas. U.S. Navy file photo. (RELEASED)
“The Type 096 will be more difficult for adversaries to track. The Type 096 will be more numerous, stealthier, and may range over a wider area, which necessitates a rethink of US capabilities and their deployment,” Emma Salisbury, an associate fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, told Newsweek.
The Range of the Type 096 Nuclear Missiles Strikes Fear
Even though the Type 094 and JL-2 SLBM could strike Alaska and Hawaii, the sub still had to venture further into the Pacific and would arouse suspicion about US anti-submarine efforts. The Type 096 could hit the continental United States when launched closer to China. This is a grave concern for the US military and its strategic forces.
The Type 096 will be quieter than the Jin-class, but the new SSBN will continue to serve with the Type 094 and Type 094A, giving the Chinese a total of eight to ten boomers by the 2030s. This will grant the Chinese the ability to have at least two SSBNs at sea at the same time, which will give the PLAN an excellent level of deterrence.
USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) transits the Hood Canal.
China is definitely in the nuclear SSBN age with this evolving force of boomers. The Type 094 Jin-class is not that stealthy, but the Type 096 boats will be quieter and more difficult to discover. The Type 096 could launch its nuclear missiles from the South China Sea and threaten cities and military targets in the United States. They could hit regional countries in the First Island Chain, such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, with ease, not to mention American military targets on Guam, Alaska, and Hawaii.
If the United States ever enters nuclear talks with China, the PLAN will likely keep its SSBN fleet off the bargaining table. These boomers are just too valuable. China may have around 600 nuclear warheads with the goal of producing 1,000 in the stockpile by 2030.
The Type 096 is impressive and will heighten the sense of danger with the Chinese. There are not that many PLAN boomers, but there are enough to make a second nuclear strike a reality. The new JL-3 SLBM packs a punch, and with MIRV warheads, it can eliminate a handful of targets for each strike. Thus, the Chinese have a nuclear force that will be difficult to reckon with in the 2030s. They are a global nuclear power that the United States must plan for when it comes to developing a solid nuclear strategy.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
