A startling new satellite image has surfaced, revealing a chilling detail about a Chinese nuclear submarine docked at a naval base. The vessel, identified as a Type 094 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine by an open-source intelligence analyst, shows at least four of its nuclear missile hatches open, Newsweek reported.
The Type 094 is capable of carrying up to 12 long-range nuclear missiles.
Captured by Google Earth Pro on December 7, the image shows the submarine docked at Longpo Naval Base on Hainan Island in southern China.
The image also depicts a crane on the wharf positioned over the open hatches, although it remains unclear whether it was loading or unloading ballistic missiles.
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore's Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, commented that the image of the ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) is rare. He wrote on X: "[It] further reinforces reports of regular strategic deterrent patrols performed by these SSBNs."
Longpo Base is equipped with underground facilities facing the contested South China Sea and features six 230-meter wharves, capable of accommodating 12 submarines.
Each Type 094 submarine is armed with JL-2 or JL-3 ballistic missiles, serving as a nuclear deterrent, according to a 2023 Pentagon report.
The Pentagon's 2023 report also noted that the Chinese military, which boasts the world's largest navy with more than 370 ships and submarines, equips each Type 094 with JL-2 or JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles as part of China's sea-based nuclear deterrent.
The JL-2 and JL-3 missiles have estimated ranges of 3,900 and 5,400 nautical miles, respectively. The JL-2 could strike the U.S. East Coast from waters east of Hawaii, while the JL-3 could target parts of the U.S. mainland from China's waters.
