Possible but wouldn't that be non-circular?I wonder if the ~12m hull section we saw at Huludao was in fact a missile compartment section for an 094B rather than a hull section for 095. Guess we'll see what comes out first.
Not necessarily, if you look at the model it seems the missile tubes extend upwards beyond the pressure hull.Possible but wouldn't that be non-circular?
All I wanted to say is that it would be prudent for China that it remains so in the future.Currently, the ultimate security of China isn't based on its SSBNs though, but of it various landbased nukes.
Pacific is the worst path, it's always polar.You could always launch through the North Pole which should have a much lower, if any, BMD density. Yes, I know across the Pacific is shorter, but newer Chinese ICBMs should have the range.
nope.All I wanted to say is that it would be prudent for China that it remains so in the future.
SSBNs as stated aren't China's ultimate security, there's a reason they can't launch China's newest and best missiles. They're also not able to go into SSGN conversion for that reason. They're essentially a backup that will launch an additional overkill salvo after land based has already finished their job in a MAD scenario.
If US puts a SSN as close as the first island chain, Chinese ASW as well as submarines would track it. And Chinese SSBNs hardly need to venture further than the SCS or the straits in a MAD scenario.
It is very reasonable that the US SSN can also find the PLA SSBN and achieve a mutual kill, given the age of the SSBNs and non-focus on SSBNs. But a crappy 094 traded for a world class Virginia is a favorable one.
The main firing force would be land based and potentially space based. From the SCS, SSBNs can send more nukes into the west coast, but it would just be a formality at that point.