China’s advanced DF-17 hypersonic missile likely to have been part of recent military drill
- Footage aired on state television shows new and unidentified type of missile vehicle in PLA exercise
- Analysts say DF-17 is powerful enough to strike US bases in the region
Footage aired on Chinese state television last week shows a new and unidentified type of missile vehicle being used to transport a weapon in a recent assault exercise conducted by a People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force missile brigade.
Military analysts said the missile being transported in the footage was likely to be the DF-17.
The hypersonic missile drew attention when it made its debut in October 2019 at a huge military parade marking the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China.
In the report on state broadcaster CCTV, footage shows the brigade conducting the assault exercise at night, in an undisclosed location.
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China’s People’s Liberation Army ground forces hold attack drill
Wang Chunhong, an officer in charge of training in the brigade, told the broadcaster that the new weapon system reduced the time needed to launch a missile.
“This will greatly increase our capability in adapting to future warfare,” Wang said.
Is China’s DF-17 hypersonic missile a serious threat to the United States?
In a separate video posted on the Chinese military’s official website, 81.cn, on Saturday, the missile is seen from an aerial view that shows a cover enclosing the missile launcher inside the transporter.
“That [DF-17] cover was removed for the military parade [in 2019] but it should be intact for battle to keep it at the right temperature and to protect the missile from environmental damage,” said Yue Gang, a retired PLA colonel and military commentator. “It’s also camouflage to protect the missile from being detected.”
The DF-17 is believed to be the world’s first active hypersonic glide vehicle weapon, and powerful enough to penetrate US missile shields in the region. With a maximum range of 2,500km (1,550 miles), it could reach US military bases in Yokosuka, Japan and South Korea from China.
