The PLARF could have test fired the JL-3 (aka JL-2A), a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s latest variant of Type 094 Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, dubbed Type 094A. The Type 094A submarine, first spotted in 2016, purportedly carries a bigger missile payload and is quieter than the original Type 094 variant. The JL-3 is thought to have a range of up to 12,000 kilometers and was introduced into service in 2016. In a separate analysis, East Pendulum offers a sound hypothesis for a SLBM ejection test in the Bohai Sea.
