WW3 alert? China’s Type 094 submarine spotted with missile hatches open

China’s most powerful submarine is the Type 094 Jin-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) (Image: X)

Satellite images have captured a Chinese submarine docked at a naval base near underground facilities with its nuclear ballistic missile hatches visibly open. This base is located along the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The latest satellite image from Google Earth Pro, the advanced desktop version of Google Earth, reveals a submarine docked at one of the docks at the Longpo Naval Base on Hainan Island in southern China, with at least four of its missile hatches left open.

Open-source intelligence analyst @benreuter_IMINT, active on X, identified the submarine as one of China’s six Type 094 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. These submarines are capable of carrying up to 12 long-range nuclear attack missiles.

Longpo Naval Base, home to China’s fleet of Type 094 submarines, has six 754-foot-long berths capable of mooring up to 12 submarines. According to a Newsweek report, the base also includes an underground facility designed to protect submarines from attack and surveillance. Newsweek previously reported on the base’s activity after analyzing satellite images.

A 2023 Pentagon report noted that the Chinese military, which boasts the world’s largest fleet of over 370 ships and submarines, is equipping its Type 094 submarines with JL-2 or JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These missiles form a key component of China’s sea-based nuclear deterrent.

The Pentagon estimates the range of the JL-2 and JL-3 missiles at 3,900 and 5,400 nautical miles, respectively. JL-2 can reach the US. East Coast from waters east of Hawaii, while the JL-3 has the ability to hit parts of the US mainland directly from China’s coastal waters.

According to one report, China likely conducted “almost continuous deterrence patrols at sea” with its Type 094 submarines. Meanwhile, U.S. nuclear-armed submarines are always on patrol, making it difficult for adversaries to track them all, adding to their survivability, according to a 2020 U.S. Department of Defense fact sheet.

US nuclear-armed submarines are constantly on patrol, making them difficult for adversaries to track, a key factor in their survivability, according to a 2020 US Department of Defense fact sheet.