096 Tang-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine armed with 24 SLBMs

096 Submarine
096 Submarine

Russian Military Observation website published an article titled “China’s Nuclear Potential” on December 30, 2014. It says that China is upgrading and improving its strategic bombers, but H-6K, the upgraded version of H-6 bomber imported from Russia has a range of 3,000km only and does not constitute nuclear deterrence against the US.

China has tried without success to import the technology of Russian TU-22M3 bomber.

However, China is vigorously developing its strategic nuclear submarine fleet. Its first Jin-class nuclear submarine was commissioned in 2004 while its sixth such submarine was launched in March 2010.

China is developing Type 096 Tang-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine that is armed with 24 submarine-launched ICBMs (SLBMs) with a range of 11,000 km enough to attack anywhere in the United States.

By 2020, Chinese navy will have at least 6 094 and 096 ballistic missile nuclear submarines armed with 80 SLBMs in all. They can carry 250-300 nuclear warheads.

Source: huanqiu.com “China developing Type 096 strategic nuclear submarine able to carry 24 missiles” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the report in Chinese”

Type 096 Qin class nuclear submarine began to be formally commissioned in July 2008. It carries 24 JL-3 SLBMs with a range of 15,000 km and MIRVs.

JL-3 SLBM is the submarine version of DF-41 land-based ICBM. DF-41 can have 10 MIRVs but JL-3 seems to carry less MIRVs as the report says the 24 SLBMs can hit at lease 64 targets simultaneously. As a result, a 096’s fire power is equivalent to that of six 094 Jin class strategic SLBM submarines.

Moreover, installed with an anti-satellite device, a JL-3 can hit an enemy satellite.

A 096 submarine has a maximum displacement of 10,000 tons and is said to be rival to US Ohio class nuclear submarine characterized by low noise, high undetectability and maneuverability, great survival ability and long-range attack capability.

Recently, there has been media report that a 096 submarine launched a JL-3 SLBM from the Yellow Sea and successfully hit its target in Gobi Desert 8,000 kilometers away.

In an interview with an international media, a US military officer said that it was quite probable that China has completed its deployment of six 096 submarines to have the capability of nuclear strike covering Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. .

Source: huanqiu.com “China’s deployment of six 096 nuclear submarines armed with JL-3 SLBMs gives rise to great panic in Japan”

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