| Julang-3 (JL-3) | |
|---|---|
 Jin (type 94) class ballistic missile submarine | |
| Type | SLBM |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2022 |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Specifications | |
| Blast yield | 3 MT1 |
| Propellant | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | >9,000 km (5,600 mi) |
Guidance system | Astro-inertial with Beidou |
Launch platform | Type 094 submarine |
The JL-3 (Chinese: 巨浪-3; pinyin: Jù Làng Sān; lit. 'Giant Wave 3'; NATO reporting name: CSS-NX-202) is a Chinese third-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It may arm the Type 094 submarine and is expected to arm the future Type 096.2
History
The first test flight occurred on 24 November 2018 in the Bohai Sea; it was likely a test of the launch tube's cold-launch ejection system.3 According to anonymous Chinese sources, the Type 032 submarine made the first three test launches, with a Type 094 making the fourth in December 2019.4
In 2020, anonymous Chinese sources reported that development of the JL-3 and Type 096 had been decoupled to speed up missile development, and that it would take at least five years to integrate the missile with the submarine.4
By 2022, the Type 094 may have been rearmed with the JL-3.25
The missile officially debuted at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade.6
Description
The JL-3 is reported as a solid-fueled missile with ranges of over 9,000 km (5,600 mi)3 or 5,400 nmi (10,000 km),7 capable of reaching parts of contiguous United States when launched from China's coastal waters.6
The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports the likely payload to be three MIRV nuclear warheads.8
References
References
- Deb, Kushal (27 June 2025). "India's answer to China's JL 3: Know all about the faster, deadlier and stealthier K-6 hypersonic missile". WION. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
- United States Department of Defense (29 November 2022). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2022 (PDF) (Report). p. 96. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- Shaikh, Shaan (21 December 2018). "China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBM". Missile Threat. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- Chan, Minnie (January 4, 2020). "China nuclear missile development steps up a gear with test of weapon capable of hitting US mainland". South China Morning Post.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024, p. 104.
- Chan, Ryan (3 September 2025). "China Unveils New Nuclear Missiles for 'Global' Reach". Newsweek.
- Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024, p. 56.
- "How is China Modernizing its Nuclear Forces?". Center for Strategic and International Studies. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2023.