Missile JL-3 (CH-SS-N-20)

The JL-3 (NATO reporting name: CSS-NX-20) is a Chinese third-generation, solid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile. Initial flight testing began on 24 November 2018 in the Bohai Sea to evaluate the launch tube's cold-launch ejection system. A Type 032 submarine conducted the first three test launches, followed by a fourth launch from a Type 094 submarine in December 2019. Development of the missile was decoupled from the Type 096 submarine program to accelerate the missile's progression. The system officially debuted at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade.

The missile uses solid propellant and carries a payload reported to consist of three MIRV nuclear warheads. When launched from Chinese coastal waters, it is capable of reaching targets within the contiguous United States.

Operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy, the JL-3 arms Type 094 submarines, which may have been rearmed with the missile by 2022, and is planned to arm the future Type 096 submarine class. On 6 July 2026, a nuclear-powered submarine—likely a Type 094—conducted a test launch of an SLBM, identified as likely a JL-2 or JL-3, into international waters in the South Pacific. For this launch, China designated a hazard area for falling space debris and notified the Japan Coast Guard one day in advance, clarifying the test involved a ballistic missile approximately 90 minutes before the event.