Chinese Nuclear Submarine Appears This Time in the West Sea Coastal Waters

US Strategic Weapons Seem to Overtly Surface to Check Frequent Deployment on Korean Peninsula
New Submarine Changjeong-18 Likely Capable of Striking Ballistic Missiles on US Mainland

Video of the Changzheng (Long March)-18 rocket posted on the official Weibo account of China Central Television (CCTV) Military Channel

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] China’s nuclear-powered submarines have appeared in the waters off the West Sea. It is evaluated as a warning message to South Korea and the United States to deter the permanent deployment of U.S. strategic assets in response to North Korea’s provocations.

According to the military on the 15th, on September 26, a 10,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine was spotted at sea 15 nautical miles (27 km) west of the Marine Control Area (MCA) near Heuksando, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. The MCA is a jurisdictional sea area set by the Republic of Korea Navy around the Korean Peninsula and is effectively a military red line.

The military stated that although China’s nuclear-powered submarines have been detected in the West Sea before, it is unusual that four sightings, including nuclear-powered submarines, have occurred this year. On February 18, an unidentified submarine was spotted near Heuksando; on June 6, a Yuan-class (3,600-ton) diesel submarine was detected near Heuksando; and on June 11, another unidentified submarine appeared near Taean. Considering that last year there was one sighting near Heuksando on August 18, these frequent appearances are notable.

The reason the South Korean military was able to detect China’s submarines is that the submarines surfaced above the water. This indicates that China has openly exposed the location of its submarines. This is likely a warning message not to obstruct China’s deployment of forces for an attack on Taiwan, following the established permanent deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula due to recent North Korean provocations. Although U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face-to-face for the first time at the summit level, they still showed differences in their positions regarding the Taiwan issue.

The military authorities believe that the nuclear-powered submarine discovered this time is the new strategic nuclear-powered submarine unveiled ahead of the 20th National Congress held last month.

The state-run China Central Television (CCTV) military channel posted a video on its official Weibo (Chinese Twitter) account on the 29th of last month, showcasing the Type 094A strategic nuclear submarine of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Changzheng (Long March)-18. The 2-minute 24-second video shows the Changzheng-18 navigating submerged and surfaced in the South China Sea, as well as launching torpedoes.

The Changzheng-18, capable of launching JL (Julang<巨浪> - Giant Wave)-3 ballistic missiles with a range exceeding 10,000 km that can strike the U.S. mainland, was publicly revealed for the first time since its commissioning in April last year. Measuring approximately 135 meters in length and 13 meters in width, with a submerged displacement of 11,000 tons, the Changzheng-18 can travel underwater at speeds of 28 to 30 knots (52 to 56 km/h) and dive to depths exceeding 300 meters. It is considered a crucial element of China’s nuclear deterrence capability.

Military experts predict that the deployment of China’s nuclear-powered submarines will strengthen the Northern Theater Command’s forces and that they will openly threaten the waters off South Korea’s West Sea in the future.

The Northern Theater Command has deployed strategic assets supporting the extended deterrence of U.S. Forces Korea. During exercises, it is known to operate combat readiness scenarios assuming full-scale war involving U.S. Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Japan. It plays a militarily important role as a strategic stronghold where major defense industries are located, including the Bohai Shipyard producing nuclear-powered submarines, the Dalian Shipyard producing destroyers, and the Shenyang Aircraft Development Corporation developing the J-31 stealth fighter.

Moon Geun-sik, a professor at the Graduate School of Political Studies at Kyonggi University, said, “To secure the gateway to the Pacific Ocean, maritime topographic surveys and sea trials are essential. Sending submarines following surface ships indicates an intention to dominate the West Sea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.