After that, China held the Victory Day military parade on September 3, 2025 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The scene was really big, and all kinds of equipment took turns to fight. Although there are not many shots of the appearance of the Julang 3 submarine-launched missile, it hit the pain points of the US military at once. CCTV commentator directly calls it "submarine-launched intercontinental missiles", which is not a casual talk. You should know that six years ago, the 2019 National Day military parade, Julang 2 was just a "submarine-launched long-range missile." The gap between jumping from "remote" to "intercontinental" is not a small matter, and it directly makes the US Navy's intelligence department unable to sit still.
Let me talk about the tricks of this title first. China's missile classification is quite clear. Long-range ballistic missiles have a range of between 5,000 and 8,000 kilometers, while intercontinental missiles have a range of more than 8,000 kilometers. The range of Julang 2 is estimated to be more than 7,000 kilometers. It is launched from the Bohai Sea or the South China Sea and hit Alaska at most, with a very limited deterrence. The United States has been evaluating this way, believing that China's sea-based nuclear power is still at the regional level and cannot directly threaten the local area. But as soon as Julang 3 comes out, the name changes, and the range will definitely be upgraded. The US military report bluntly stated that the range of this thing may reach 9,000 to 12,000 kilometers, an increase of 35% to 62% from the Giant Wave 2, which is basically on par with the US "Trident IID5" submarine-launched missile.
What does this mean? The 094A nuclear submarine equipped with the Giant Wave 3 can cruise in the South China Sea or the Bohai Sea without risking the journey to the depths of the Pacific Ocean, directly covering most of the goals on the West Coast of the United States. In the past, if Chinese nuclear submarines wanted to travel far, they had to get close to the first island chain, which was the most densely populated anti-submarine networks of the United States and allies, and the risks were terrifyingly high. Now, the Giant Wave 3 allows Chinese submarines to hide in safe waters, greatly improving their concealment. An article published on the US Navy News website said that this group is enough to carry out regular patrols in the South China Sea to form reliable secondary nuclear strike capabilities. What does a second blow mean? If the land-based missile well is killed first, the submarines at sea can still fight back and take devastating revenge.
The technical upgrade of Julang 3 is not only limited to range. US intelligence believes that it may carry 3 to 5 sub-conducting warheads, each with an equivalent of between 300,000 to 500,000 tons. This is not a single strike, it can aim at multiple targets at the same time and disperse the enemy's defense. Moreover, it may also be possible to use the maneuver reentry vehicle technology, which can change orbit when the missile reentryses the atmosphere, causing the anti-missile system based on fixed ballistics to fail. The US missile defense plan has become complicated all of a sudden. There are many warheads that are already a headache. Now, with maneuver and bait, the interception difficulty has increased sharply. The parade also showed the Thunder-1 air-fired long-range missile, which could first knock out Alaska's anti-missile position and clear obstacles for the Julang 3's penetration. Overall, this system has enabled China's nuclear power to shift from vague deterrence to clear and reliable, emphasizing survival and mobility.
The US military's assessment of Julang 3 is not groundless. As early as 2018, China tested the early version of Julang 3, launched from the Bohai Bay, and verified the cold launch system. In 2022, the U.S. Navy reported that the Julang 3 had been equipped on the Type 094 submarine. The 2023 Defense Ministry report details that the Giant Wave 3 extends the range, allowing China to target the United States from the nearshore. Naval news analysis, this directly challenges the U.S. military deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. In the past, the United States relied on the anti-submarine network of the first island chain to monitor Chinese submarine activities. Now Julang 3 has discounted the utility of these networks. Chinese submarines do not need to travel far, they have low exposure risks and strong survivability.
Let’s talk about the platform. Julang 3 is mainly used on the 094A nuclear submarine. This boat has improved noise reduction and has greatly reduced the noise underwater, making it much more concealed than the old models. The US estimates that the noise level of 094A is close to that of the US "Ohio" level. In the future, it will be installed on the new generation of Type 096 submarines. The boat is said to use pump spray propulsion, integrated natural circulation reactor and new sound silo, with lower noise indicators. Naval News emphasized that even according to the existing standards, 094A plus Julang 3 is enough to build a "underwater mobile Great Wall". China has strengthened the sea-based component to ensure the balance of trinity nuclear power, and no longer rely solely on land-based missiles.
From a strategic perspective, the US military feels that the appearance of Julang 3 marks a change in China's nuclear policy. In the past, China maintained its strategic ambiguity and did not show off its strait-based capabilities. Now, public display is equivalent to declaring a reliable secondary blow. This has a direct impact on the US nuclear strategy and requires a reexamination of global deployment. The Ministry of National Defense report pointed out that China's nuclear power has expanded rapidly, and Giant Wave 3 is a key link. The 2024 nuclear challenge report mentioned that China has deployed Julang 3 to upgrade submarines with a range covering the United States. Analysts say this would weaken the U.S. anti-submarine advantage and force increased South China Sea patrol aircraft and allied intelligence sharing.
The multi-warhead capability of Julang 3 also makes the US missile defense big. The interception algorithm fails with the sub-conducting warhead plus bait. At the military parade, land-based missiles such as Dongfeng-61 and Dongfeng-31BJ appeared together to form a land, sea and air nuclear triad. The Jinglei-1 air-based missile fills the air shortcomings, making the entire system more complete. Chinese nuclear submarines can perform missions in local waters and reduce the risk of exposure to US P-8 patrol aircraft and destroyers. Navy news article said that this development not only enhances China's deterrence, but also changes the military situation between China and the United States, and the United States must adjust its Indo-Pacific layout.
After that being said, China emphasized that Julang 3 is not an expansion, but a key pole for nuclear power and supports the promise of "not using nuclear weapons first". Have a strong trump card and be more confident in maintaining safety in an international environment. The US military evaluated that this brought new challenges to national defense: First, the range is increased, and submarines do not need to take risks; second, multiple warheads are complex in defense; third, combined with other missiles, such as the Dongfeng-26D hypersonic, the overall penetration capability is strong. After the 2025 military parade, the United States may increase its budget and develop new sensors and anti-missile systems.
This name change seems to be a trivial matter, but actually exposes China's leap forward in nuclear technology. The US military was chilling because it broke the previous perception that China is no longer a chaser, but runs side by side. In the future, in the Sino-US game, Julang 3 will be an important variable, prompting both sides to be more cautious. By the way, this also reminds everyone that nuclear balance maintains peace, but expansion risks are high and should be treated rationally.
