Days ago, a nuclear-powered ballistic submarine belonging to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was sighted in the morning while transiting west of the Taiwan Strait. According to the images that have circulated by Open Information Sources (OSINT), it is believed that it is one of the Type 094 (SSBN) units, also known as class Jinone of the components of the Asian Giant’s nuclear deterrent capabilities.
This fact is striking, since these class submarines of the Chinese Navy are rarely seen sailing on the surface and near Taiwan, the last occasion being recorded in 2019. The Taiwan Ministry of Defense noted that local forces were at the both of the presence of the ballistic missile submarine. On the Chinese government’s side, no statement has yet been made.
According to analysts, the submarine was likely headed north from the South China Sea for annual repairs and scheduled maintenance at the Bohai Sea shipyard in Huludao, northeastern Liaoning province, where it was built. . But there are those who believe that their presence is also related to the upcoming military exercises that the Taiwan Armed Forces will carry out between July 22 and 26.
Type 094 (class Jin) is a class of ballistic missile submarines developed by China for the People’s Liberation Army Submarine Force. The Type 094 succeeds the Type 092 submarine and precedes the Type 096 submarine. They are approximately 137 meters in length and are equipped with 12 missile tubes, each of which can fire the JL-2 SLBM ballistic missile, which can carry up to three nuclear warheads to a target located at a distance of up to 7,200 kilometers.
However, in November 2022, the United States had recognized that the Type 094 already had new longer-range JL-3 missiles. This missile allows the Chinese Navy to hit targets of 10,000 km. Finally, according to publicly available research, Chinese ballistic submarines operate from the Yulin naval base in the South China Sea and the Jianggezhuang naval base in the Yellow Sea, the northern section of the East China Sea.
China operates a fleet of six Type 094/Jin Class ballistic submarines, two of which are the modified 094A version. Each of these submarines can accommodate twelve JL-2 SLBM missiles, which undoubtedly represents a considerable threat to US interests in the Pacific as well as continental region. The Chinese Navy would be advancing a new ballistic submarine design with the Type 096, although at the moment progress and capabilities are unknown.
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