Munitions

JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile

Also known as
  • Ju Lang-3
  • Julang-3
  • Julong-3
  • CSS-N-20
  • CH-SS-N-20
  • JL-3 SLBM

The JL-3 is a Chinese solid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile reported as the CSS-N-20 and as a longer-range follow-on to the JL-2 for China's sea-based nuclear deterrent. U.S. Department of Defense reporting says China probably fielded the missile on Jin-class Type 094 submarines, while specialist assessments caution that the pace of JL-2 replacement and exact payload details remain publicly uncertain.

JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile, Submarine-launched ballistic missile, Munitions
Image source: Jin (Type 094) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine.JPG
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Class
Submarine-launched ballistic missile
Propulsion
Solid-fueled in CSIS Missile Threat reporting
Launch platform
Type 094 / Jin-class ballistic missile submarine in U.S. Department of Defense reporting; originally associated with the future Type 096 in earlier public assessments
Range
About 5,400 nautical miles in 2024 U.S. Department of Defense reporting; roughly 10,000 km in FAS 2025 analysis
Reporting names
CSS-N-20 / CH-SS-N-20
Carrier load
Up to 12 JL-2 or JL-3 SLBMs per Jin-class SSBN in U.S. Department of Defense reporting
Status
Probably fielded on Chinese SSBNs in 2020s public assessments; complete JL-2 replacement is not publicly confirmed
Carrier Submarines

Current public reporting connects the JL-3 to China's Jin-class SSBN force, while Type 096 reporting remains future-program context rather than an operational launch-platform record.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Type 094 / Jin-class ballistic missile submarine, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine class, Naval SystemsType 094 / Jin-class ballistic missile submarineNuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine

The 2024 U.S. Department of Defense report says operational Jin-class Type 094 submarines can carry up to 12 JL-2 or JL-3 SLBMs per boat.

Sources: DoD China Military Power Report 2024

Future SSBN context

The same DoD report says Type 096 SSBNs are expected to enter service in the late 2020s or early 2030s and operate concurrently with Type 094 boats; FAS/Bulletin analysis similarly treats Type 096 as expected future SSBN development, not a confirmed current JL-3 launch platform.

Sources: DoD China Military Power Report 2024, Chinese Nuclear Weapons 2025

Timeline

JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile Key Events

  1. First reported JL-3 flight test

    CSIS Missile Threat reported that China's navy conducted the first JL-3 flight test in the Bohai Sea, likely focused on cold ejection from a submarine launch tube.

    Sources: China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBM

  2. U.S. officials describe operational transition

    FAS notes that a U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said in November 2022 that China had replaced deployed JL-2 missiles with JL-3s, while FAS continues to treat full replacement as unconfirmed.

    Sources: Chinese Nuclear Forces 2025

  3. DoD reports probable Jin-class fielding

    The 2024 DoD China Military Power Report says China probably fielded the CSS-N-20 (JL-3) on Jin-class SSBNs and lists a 5,400 nautical-mile range.

    Sources: DoD China Military Power Report 2024

  4. Displayed in China's Victory Day parade

    FAS identified the JL-3 / Julang-3 as the sea-based nuclear missile displayed during China's 2025 Victory Day parade and described it as being back-fitted onto modified Jin-class submarines.

    Sources: Nuclear Weapons At China's 2025 Victory Day Parade

Media

JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile Videos

Related Weapon Systems
Type 094 / Jin-class ballistic missile submarine, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 094 / Jin-class ballistic missile submarineChinese People's Liberation Army Navy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine classThe Type 094 / Jin-class is the People's Liberation Army Navy's operational nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine class and China's first credible sea-based nuclear-deterrent platform. U.S. defense reporting describes six operational Jin-class boats carrying up to 12 JL-2 or JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, while open-source references place construction at Bohai Shipyard in Huludao.
M20 short-range ballistic missile, Road-mobile short-range ballistic missile, MunitionsMunitionsM20 short-range ballistic missileRoad-mobile short-range ballistic missileThe M20 short-range ballistic missile, also known as DF-12, is a Chinese road-mobile SRBM built by CASIC for transporter-erector-launcher operations. CSIS describes it as a single-stage, solid-fueled missile with an export range around 280 km, 480 kg payload, PLA service from 2013, and M20A/M20B derivatives. In the 2020 Tigray War, Oryx identified captured Ethiopian M20 missiles used by Tigray forces for long-range strikes.
Anti-aircraft missiles, Ship-launched surface-to-air missile, MunitionsMunitionsAnti-aircraft missilesShip-launched surface-to-air missileShip-launched surface-to-air missiles documented in the Choe Hyon destroyer's air-defense fit. CSIS identifies the destroyer's air-defense system as Russian Pantsir-M and reports anti-aircraft missile launches during the 28 April 2025 test activity, while Naval News separately notes an unspecified forward VLS-launched SAM and a Pantsir-M-style close-in weapon system with short-range missiles. The exact North Korean missile designation remains publicly unconfirmed.

Sources

DoD China Military Power Report 2024Publisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports CSS-N-20 as JL-3, reported range in nautical miles, Jin-class Type 094 carriage context, and up to 12 JL-2 or JL-3 missiles per boat. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Chinese Nuclear Forces 2025Publisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports Type 094 refit context, likely JL-2-to-JL-3 replacement caveats, roughly 10,000 km range analysis, and public uncertainty around MIRV status. | Accessed: 2026-07-04China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBMPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Threat | Note: Supports the November 24, 2018 first reported flight test, Bohai Sea test context, Julong-3 alias, solid-fueled description, and reported range over 9,000 km. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Chinese Nuclear Weapons 2025Publisher: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Note: Supports 2025 Nuclear Notebook assessment that China has been refitting Type 094 submarines with JL-3 missiles, treats Type 096 as expected future SSBN development, and discusses public uncertainty around Type 096 missile loadout. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Nuclear Weapons At China's 2025 Victory Day ParadePublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports the JL-3 / Julang-3 public display at China's September 3, 2025 Victory Day parade and FAS assessment of modified Jin-class back-fit context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04How is China Modernizing its Nuclear Forces?Publisher: CSIS ChinaPower Project | Note: Supports broader public context for China's nuclear-force modernization and sea-based deterrent transition. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Jin (Type 094) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the Type 094 / Jin-class submarine image used as launch-platform context for JL-3; it is not a confirmed photograph of a JL-3 missile. | Accessed: 2026-07-04