中国战略核潜艇 '威胁美国本土'

choi

VOA Chinese, Apr 9, 2015.
www.voachinese.com/content/china-ssbn-20150409/2713114.html

(2) The more recent report first.
(a) Bill Gertz, Northcom: China’s Three Missile Submarines a ‘Concern;’ North Korea has small warheads for ICBMs. Washington Fee Beacon, Apr 7, 2015.
freebeacon.com/national-security/northcom-china-begins-missile-sub-patrols/

Quote:

"The missile submarines are deployed in the South China Sea at a base on Hainan Island, according to a defense official [Adm William Gortney, '[t]he four-star admiral in charge of the Colorado-based Northern Command in charge of homeland military defense'].

“'They’ve not loaded their missiles or begun strategic patrols [red: going out the the sea, as opposed to cruising near the coast],' the official said. 'But we believe they are likely to begin this year.'

"Jin-class [nuclear-powered ballistic missile] submarines can carry up to 12 JL-2 missiles, each of which is expected to have multiple warheads.


(b) Bill Gertz, China Conducts JL-2 Sub Missile Test. Washington Times, Feb 18, 2015.
www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... ear-missile-for-su/

Quote:

(i) "China carried out a flight test of its new JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile last month, highlighting Beijing’s nuclear buildup of missile submarines. The JL-2 flight test took place Jan. 23, according to defense officials familiar with details of the test.

"No details of the test were available. China in the past has conducted JL-2 flight tests from the Bohai Sea.

(ii) "China’s nationalistic state-run newspaper Global Times in 2013 published a lengthy article that stated that nuclear JL-2 missile strikes on the western United States would kill 5 million to 12 million people through a combination of blasts and radioactive fallout.

"The article was later pulled from the newspaper’s website after reports about the provocative report were published in the West.

"The Obama administration and Pentagon remained silent on the Global Times report. When asked about the report in November 2013, Chief of Naval Operations Adm Jonathan Greenert [who was/still is the top navy man, secretary of navy being always a civilian] appeared to dismiss the Chinese submarine missile nuclear threat as not credible.

(iii) "China was to have carried out the first missile submarine patrols with nuclear-armed JL-2 missiles by the end of last year.

"However, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart told the House Armed Services Committee Feb. 3 that the first missile submarine patrols are expected this year.

My comment:
(i) Based on PUBLICLY available information, it is all speculation. China has conducted underwater trial of JL-2 for years, never succeeded.
(ii) Type 094 submarine  094型核潜艇
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_094_submarine
(NATO reporting name: Jin-class; In service 2010; Completed  5 (according to Pentagon))

In the past, Jin was considered worthless. I am clueless why suddenly US holds it up as a warning. Is Jin a boogeyman?
(iii) United States Northern Command
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Northern_Command
(view map)