CHINA is now deploying at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine continuously at sea for the first time, increasing pressure on the United States and its allies in countering China's growing military capabilities, reports Reuters.
The Pentagon report highlights China's fleet of six Jin-class ballistic missile submarines that are conducting "near-continuous" patrols from Hainan Island into the South China Sea.
These submarines are equipped with a new, longer-range ballistic missile that can target the continental United States, say experts.
The report's note on this development received little attention when released in late November but highlights significant improvements in China's military capabilities, according to regional military attaches and security analysts.
The continuous ballistic missile patrols pose a challenge to the United States and its allies, who are already under pressure with the AUKUS deal set to see Australia deploy its first nuclear-powered submarines over the next two decades, leading to Cold War deployments.
"We're going to want to have our SSNs trying to tail them, so the extra demands on our assets are clear," said security scholar Christopher Twomey.
"But the point here is that the information - the near continuous patrols - has changed so rapidly that we don't know what else has changed."
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