Beijing’s ICBM test from a nuclear-powered submarine is a win from a defence perspective but comes with greater responsibilities
The July 6 test, in which the missile travelled about 7,300km, was the first publicly disclosed long-range submarine-based test conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy since 1982. This points to both the credibility of China’s nascent second-strike capability and the resolve with which Beijing has pursued this goal.
Underwater nuclear propulsion altered the template of nuclear deterrence. Technological advances and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis shaped deterrence strategy, and Cold War stability was eventually predicated on the doctrine of “mutually assured destruction” and the presence of SSBNs.