China repairs submarine, may test launch new ballistic missile

The conning tower on a Type-032 submarine is raised, suggesting Beijing may be testing a new generation of large-sized ballistic missiles.

The Type-032 with its raised conning tower. Photo: Livejournal.

The Type-032 (Qing-class) submarine with the hull number 201 is undergoing structural changes at the Dalian shipyard. The command tower has been raised, indicating that Beijing is preparing to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) of unprecedented size, Livejournal reported on August 5.

Naval expert Richard D. Fisher Jr. believes that the 201 will be a test launch platform for the SLBM called JL-3, which is being developed for China's future Type-096 nuclear submarine project. This type of SLBM has appeared in the US Department of Defense's military power report.

The Type 032 is the world's largest conventional submarine, developed from the Type 039A attack submarine platform, with a length of 92.6 m, a width of 10 m, and a displacement of 6,628 tons when submerged. China only built one Type 032 as a testing platform for new technologies, including the JL-2 SLBM, special forces deployment compartment, unmanned underwater vehicles, and escape systems equipped on the Type 095 and Type 096 submarines.

Type-032 before upgrading in Dalian. Photo: Sina.

The JL-3 is a third-generation SLBM developed from the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, expected to become the main weapon of the Type-096 strategic submarine. This missile has an estimated range of up to 12,000 km, carrying 5-7 warheads with a power equivalent to 16 nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima.

Each Type-096 can carry up to 24 JL-3 missiles, enough to threaten almost all of North America without leaving China's waters. The submarine class is expected to enter service in the 2020s, significantly enhancing Beijing's nuclear deterrent capabilities.

According to VNE