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China's Dongfeng-17 Missile Was Designed To Attack US Military Bases In The Pacific
12 December 2022.
While China has showcased its DF-17 hypersonic missile with a mobile platform, the Pentagon has alleged that the missile already has the capability to carry a nuclear warhead.
The Dong Feng-17 (DF-17) using hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) technology powered by China's medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) has been designed to attack foreign military bases and fleets in the Western Pacific, according to a US Pentagon report.
In its 2022 China Military Strength Report (CMPR), the US Department of Defense (DoD) said that the DF-17 transforms the missile power of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). "The system, which was fielded in 2020, is likely intended to replace some older short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) units," DoD added, citing Chinese media.
“The DF-17 successfully passed several tests and was operationally deployed. While the DF-17 is primarily a conventional platform, it may be equipped with a nuclear warhead," the Pentagon said. Citing the claims of a Chinese military expert, the Pentagon added that the "main objective of the DF-17" is to attack bases and fleets in the Western Pacific. source: militermeter.com
China is expanding its nuclear force and is on track to nearly quadruple the number of warheads it has by 2035, rapidly closing its gap with the United States (US). That was the sound of the Pentagon report released Tuesday local time.
In its report, the Pentagon said China's nuclear arsenal was set to more than triple to 1,500 nuclear warheads. The report also highlighted the increasing sophistication of the country's air force.
Washington has identified Beijing as its most important challenge to the US, and its annual report on China's military emphasizes increasing its nuclear and conventional forces.
"The Department of Defense estimates (China's) operational nuclear warhead stockpile has exceeded 400," the report said.
"If China continues its pace of nuclear expansion, it will likely have a stockpile of around 1,500 warheads by 2035," the report continued.
But that figure still lags behind the arsenals of the US and Russia, which each have several thousand nuclear warheads.
China is also working to modernize its ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons, launching some 135 in tests during 2021. According to the report, the number exceeds the number of similar tests from around the world combined but excluding those fired in conflicts.
"And Beijing's air force is making strides, quickly catching up with Western air forces," the report said.
A senior US defense official, speaking before the report's release, said China's air force was trying to advance quickly on all fronts, including on operated equipment as well as pilots and other personnel.
The report also takes aim at the way China is using its military in the Indo-Pacific region, saying that China has adopted more coercive and aggressive actions.
That is especially the case around Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing claims as its own.
A visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August angered China, which reacted with the largest and most aggressive drills around the island since the 1990s.
Both sides have agreed to lower the temperature. But a senior US defense official said while Chinese military activity around Taiwan has decreased, it is still higher than before.
"Beijing established a kind of new normal in terms of the level of military activity around Taiwan following the speaker's visit," the official said.
"While we do not see an imminent invasion, clearly, the higher level of intimidation and coercion activity around Taiwan is a source of concern," the official added.
