A shocking new satellite image has emerged showing a chilling detail of a Chinese nuclear submarine docked at a naval base.

The ship, identified by an open source intelligence analyst as a Type 094 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, is seen with at least four nuclear ballistic missile hatches open.

The Type 094 can carry up to 12 long-range nuclear missiles.

The image was captured by Google Earth Pro on December 7 as the submarine docked at Longpo Naval Base on Hainan Island in southern China.

It also showed a crane on the quay being operated over the submarine’s open hatches, although it remains unclear whether it was loading or unloading ballistic missiles.

Collin Koh, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, said the image of the ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) was rare.

He wrote on

The Longpo base has underground facilities overlooking the highly contested South China Sea and has six 230-meter-long wharves that can accommodate 12 submarines.

According to a 2023 Pentagon report, each Type 094 nuclear deterrent submarine is armed with JL-2 or JL-3 ballistic missiles.

A JL-2 has a range of 3,900 nautical miles and could hit the U.S. East Coast from waters east of Hawaii. A JL-3 has a range of 5,400 nautical miles and could strike the U.S. mainland from Chinese waters.

According to the report, China likely conducts “near-continuous maritime deterrence patrols” with Type 094 submarines.

China has never disclosed how many nuclear weapons it stockpiles, but the U.S. military estimated the number to be over 500 in 2023.