China confirmed using its third-generation Changzheng series nuclear submarines to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean in July 2026, demonstrating the sea-based leg of its nuclear triad. The test marks the first operational deployment of these third-generation boats, drawing criticism from Japan and Australia. Commercial satellite imagery also indicates the 2026 launch of two new submarine types at the Jiangnan and Huludao shipyards.
Deployment of third-generation nuclear submarines
- ▪China's July 2026 deployment of third-generation nuclear submarines represents a step-up in naval capabilities key to China's ambition of becoming a major naval power
- ▪On October 17, 2026, Xinhua News Agency reported on WeChat that China's July 2026 test marked the first time the People's Liberation Army deployed third-generation Changzheng series nuclear submarines to test-fire a strategic missile
July 2026 Pacific missile test
- ▪Prior to China's July 2026 submarine-launched ICBM test, China had conducted only two publicly known intercontinental ballistic missile tests in the Pacific Ocean, both of which were land-based launches
- ▪China's July 2026 Pacific missile test drew criticism from regional countries, including Japan and Australia
- ▪The People's Liberation Army test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean in July 2026
- ▪Analysts had previously speculated that China's July 2026 missile launch was executed from a Type 094 submarine, a second-generation nuclear-powered boat in service for nearly a decade
- ▪The People's Liberation Army did not disclose the specific type of missile or nuclear submarine used during China's July 2026 Pacific missile test-launch
- ▪China's July 2026 submarine-launched missile test demonstrated the sea-based leg of China's nuclear triad
Long March history
- ▪Xinhua News Agency published its October 17, 2026 revelation about China's July 2026 submarine missile test in an article commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Long March during the Chinese civil war
- ▪During the Long March in China's civil war, communist forces escaped from their Kuomintang rivals, setting the stage for their ultimate return to power
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