The July 6 launch drew concern from Australia and New Zealand, while analysts said the test highlighted China’s effort to strengthen a survivable sea-based nuclear deterrent.
Taiwan said it successfully tracked a Chinese submarine-launched ballistic missile test fired on July 6, 2026, from a nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea, following the weapon’s full path across the Pacific until it splashed down in international waters between Nauru and Tonga. The missile, launched at about 12:01 p.m. local time with a dummy warhead, traveled north of the Philippines, a route that adds sensitivity given Manila’s closer defense ties with the United States and its maritime disputes with Beijing. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed the detection and described the launch as an attempt to intimidate the broader region. The tracking was carried out by the Leshan Radar Station’s AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS system, an early-warning radar designed to detect ballistic threats at ranges of up to 5,000 km, identify launch points and estimate impact areas. The launch was China’s first publicly known submarine-launched ballistic missile test in nearly two years and drew concern from Australia and New Zealand. Beijing’s Ministry of Defense called the exercise routine and urged the world not to overinterpret it, while analysts said it marked another step in China’s effort to build a survivable sea-based second-strike capability and renewed focus on the risks created by giving only hours of advance notice before a ballistic missile launch.