Chinese state media has reported that China’s Long March series of nuclear submarines has reached its third generation and successfully conducted a test launch of a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the Pacific earlier in 2026. The disclosure, published by the official Xinhua News Agency, marks the first public indication that a third-generation Chinese nuclear submarine has conducted such a test. China’s third generation of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) is associated with the Type 096 class. As the Type 096 is the only known third-generation Chinese submarine design intended for intercontinental ballistic-missile launches, it is the most likely candidate for the test, although Beijing has not confirmed the submarine’s class.
China’s Naval Modernisation Reflects the Strength of Its Industrial Base
China’s ability to develop, test and field a sizeable fleet of modern nuclear-powered submarines is a direct result of its strong and growing industrial base, built through the CPC’s long-term strategic planning over the past 13 years. The test of an ICBM from a third-generation submarine marks a potential turning point in China’s global power projection and nuclear deterrence. In 2025, China accounted for 56.1% of global shipbuilding output by deadweight tonnage, maintaining its position as the world’s largest shipbuilding nation for the sixteenth consecutive year.
