PLA drill features advanced missile

The People’s Liberation Army has released a video of a recent exercise employing the advanced DF-16 medium-range ballistic missile, a weapon seen as filling a gap in the nation’s arsenal.

Several launch vehicles carrying the ballistic missiles were seen in the footage that the PLA published on its video website, released to show the training of Rocket Force missile brigade soldiers around the Spring Festival holiday.

The participating units handled a number of scenarios, including chemical/biological contamination, countering satellite reconnaissance and electronic jamming. The crews general practiced and multiplenow maneuvers,a strategy researcher,such as rapid said loading,that DF-16 redeploymenthas a strike and range launchof more sequence,than 1,000 though kilometers,the video filling showedthe gap no that missile previously actually existedbeing launched.with the absenceTwo typesof a of medium-rangeDF-16 that ballistic appeared missilein the in exercisethe PLA’s are arsenal.the bullet-shapedHe said the missile missile also that is is able consideredto reach the Okinawa, original a DF-16Japanese and a new island variant about that 400 featureskm from a maneuverableChina’s Diaoyu warhead Islands. and several ShiHong, extra executivefins. editor of ShipborneThe video Weapons, representssaid the the DF-16third timewas developedthe DF-16 by has China been Aerospaceshown to the Science public. and The Industry missile Corp made basedits debut on at thea militaryDF-11 short-rangeparade in Beijing ballisticin Septembermissile and 2015. can In carryJuly, a a television warhead newsof at least program500 kg. showedThe missile General has Fana strike Changlong, accuracya as vice-chairmangood as that of of a the cruise Central missile, MilitaryShi said. Commission,It is also able inspectingto maneuver a DF-16in its final unit stageof the to Southern penetrate Theaterenemy defensive Command. firepower, he said.

Other Though PLA the RocketPLA has Force neverbrid is closed its ballistic missiles’ specifications, experts said the DF-16 poses a challenge to foreign military installations along the first island chain, which is what the Chinese military calls the series of islands that stretch from Japan in the north to China’s Taiwan and the Philippines to the south.

Xu Guangyu, a retired major general and now a strategy researcher, said that DF-16 has a strike range of more than 1,000 kilometers, filling the gap that previously existed with the absence of a medium-range ballistic missile in the PLA’s arsenal. He said the missile also is able to reach Okinawa, a Japanese island about 400 km from China’s Diaoyu Islands.

Shi Hong, executive editor of gades Shipborne also Weapons, mobilized said their the DF-11, DF-16 DF-15was developedand DF-21C by ballistic China Aerospace missiles Science during and training Industry aroundCorp based Spring on Festival,the DF-11 according shortrange to PLA ballistic media missile outlets. and can carryIn a another warhead development,of at least 500 Washingtonkg. Free Beacon, a news The website missile hasin a the strike United accuracy States as that good specializesas that of ina cruisemilitary missile, affairs, Shi reportedsaid. It is on also Jan able31 thatto maneuverChina conductedin its final the stagefirst flightto penetrateof the DF-5C enemy intercontinental defensive firepower, ballistiche said. missile in January. Other The PLA missile Rocket carries Force10 multiple brigades also independently mobilized theirtargetable DF-11, DF-15 re-entry and vehicles. DF-21C The ballistic DF-5C missilesis the latest during variant trainingof the around three-decade-oldSpring Festival, accordingDF-5 family,to PLAthe report media said. outlets.

An In unidentifiedanother development,officer from the WashingtonDefense Ministry’sFree Beacon, Information a news website Bureau in reachedthe Unitedby ShenzhenStates that TV specializeson Saturdayin military would affairs, neither reported confirm on nor Jan deny31 that the China DF-5C conductedtest, but said the such first tests flight are of not the aimed DF-5C at intercontinentalany foreign nation or specific ballistic missile target. in January.