JL1

JL-1, also known as Julang-1, is the first submarine-launched ballistic missile developed by the People's Republic of China. It was designed to arm the Xia-class (Type 092) ballistic-missile submarine, China’s first operational SSBN, as part of an effort to establish a sea-based nuclear deterrent. Development began in the late 1970s and early 1980s under national defense programs led by the China Academy of Launch Technology and related defense contractors. Publicly available details about JL-1 are limited, and official specifications have not been widely disclosed. It is generally described as a single-warhead ballistic missile, intended to deliver a nuclear payload from submerged launch platforms.

In service, the Xia-class and JL-1 faced reliability and operational challenges. The JL-1 did not achieve broad deployment or long-range operational use, and China subsequently focused on more advanced SLBMs. By the 2000s, development of the JL-2 led to a new generation of missiles for later submarines (Type 094), and JL-1 fell from frontline use. The JL-1 program is typically characterized as a learning and transitional program that provided experience foundational to China’s later maritime strategic deterrent capabilities.

See also: JL-2, Xia-class, Type 092, Type 094.