BEIJING — China has test launched a new submarine launched ballistic missile named the JL-3.<br /><br />The country's Defense Ministry told the Global Times in a conference on June 27 that the UFO sightings earlier that month was the result of a test launch conducted in the Bohai Sea.<br /><br />According to the Global Times, the missile was observed by Chinese netizens in Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei and Henan.<br /><br />Jane's 360 reported that the trajectory was consistent with a flight path toward the desert areas in the west that China uses for missile tests.<br /><br />The National Interest reports that the JL-3 features a multiple warhead design capable of carrying China's hydrogen bombs.<br /><br />An unnamed source told the South China Morning Post that the finished JL-3 will achieve a range of 9,000 kilometers.<br /><br />According to the National Interest, the completed missile will be able to reach Washington D.C. when fired by a submarine.<br /><br />The South China Moring Post reported that the missile has a shorter range than the US Trident II because China has not made significant breakthroughs in submarine design.
