By Ankit Panda
In recent days, there have been several reports that the Chinese navy (PLAN) has, for the first time in the country’s history, reached a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent. Defense News reports that the China’s JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is expected to reach initial operational capability (IOC) by the end of 2014. The source of the report is a forthcoming report by a U.S. congressional commission on China. The reports are in line with analyst expectations for China’s SSBN program.
According to the report, the PLAN’s sea-based deterrent will have a range of 4,000 nautical miles, lending it a comfortable position against targets on the North American western coastline. The deterrent will be delivered via the much-discussed Type 094 Jin-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), three of which are in active operation by the PLAN. China is also pursuing more advanced SSBNs: the Type 095 is expected to be a guided-missile attack submarine, and the Type 096 is expected to be a next-generation successor to the Type 094, reinforcing (PDF) its “range, mobility, stealth, and lethality.” The aging Type 092 Xia-class submarine was largely a failure and is expected to be retired soon.
Read the full story at The Diplomat