What the debut of a new air-based missile means for China’s nuclear strategy

China’s new air-based nuclear missile will boost the country’s ability to survive a first strike and retaliate, reinforcing confidence in its no-first-use policy, according to a state-linked military magazine.

The Jinglei-1 nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) made its debut at the World War II Victory Day parade in Beijing last September.

It can be carried by the PLA Air Force’s H-6N strategic bombers, completing the People’s Liberation Army’s “nuclear triad” – the ability to deliver nuclear weapons from air, land and sea platforms.

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According to an article in Shipborne Weapons this month, the combination of the H-6N and JL-1 ensures survivability for second-strike capability, thanks to the bomber’s mobility.

The bomber fleet can scramble swiftly upon early warning of an attack, dodging destruction on the ground and safeguarding its ability to strike back.

This combination “gives China greater confidence in adhering to its no-first-use nuclear policy, because there’s no worry that they [H-6N plus JL-1] will be completely destroyed, and therefore [it] does not need to conduct a pre-emptive nuclear strike,” the article said.

The magazine is managed by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

China’s no-first-use policy commits it to never striking first with nuclear weapons in any conflict, restricting its arsenal to retaliation against a nuclear attack.

South China Morning Post