The first test flight occurred on 24 November 2018 in the Bohai Sea; it was likely a test of the launch tube's cold-launch ejection system.[3] According to anonymous Chinese sources, the Type 032 submarine made the first three test launches, with a Type 094 making the fourth in December 2019.[4]
In 2020, anonymous Chinese sources reported that development of the JL-3 and Type 096 had been decoupled to speed up missile development, and that it would take at least five years to integrate the missile with the submarine.[4]
By 2022, the Type 094 may have been rearmed with the JL-3.[2][5]
The JL-3 is reported as a solid-fueled missile with ranges of over 9,000km (5,600mi)[3] or 5,400nmi (10,000km),[7] capable of reaching parts of contiguous United States when launched from China's coastal waters.[6]
12Shaikh, Shaan (21 December 2018). "China Flight Tests New JL-3 SLBM". Missile Threat. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
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