[PLA Submarine-Launched Missile Possibly Launched from East of Hainan]
The People's Liberation Army successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on July 6. However, official reports did not disclose key details such as the specific missile model, launch location, or final impact point. As a result, there is widespread speculation about these aspects. The prevailing view among external observers is that a Type 094 nuclear-powered submarine based at Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island launched the "JL-3" missile directly capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
On July 7, further details emerged regarding this PLA test launch. Japanese government sources told Kyodo News that according to their information, the PLA likely launched the submarine-launched ballistic missile from east of Hainan Island, with the missile flying directly toward the South Pacific.
Regarding the final impact zone, Australian media revealed that during its flight, the missile passed over the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of at least three Pacific island nations. The missile ultimately landed near the EEZ of the Pacific nation Tuvalu, approximately 1,000 kilometers northeast of the Solomon Islands.
According to information disclosed by Japan’s Asahi Television: China had previously provided four coordinate points— one located offshore of the Philippines, two near the Solomon Islands, and one directly offshore of the southernmost tip of Wakayama Prefecture, about 370 kilometers away. One of these areas overlaps with Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japanese authorities received information indicating these waters were designated as “space debris impact zones,” leading them to speculate that these were the locations where the missile’s rocket boosters separated and fell.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870046988079168/
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