CHINA-PLA: CHINA DEPLOYS DF-26 MISSILE TO NORTHWEST PLATEAU
China's official Global Times quoted the state--broadcaster CCTV on January 9, as publicising that the 4500-kms range anti-ship ballistic missile the DF-26 has been deployed to Northwest China's plateau and desert areas. CCTV, which did not reveal when the DF-26 missile was deployed, said the DF-26 is attached to a brigade under the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force that operates in Northwest China's plateau and desert areas. The DF-26 is China's new generation of intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of targeting medium and large ships at sea. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. A Beijing-based military expert, who asked not to be named, told Global Times that a mobile missile launch from deep in the country's interior is more difficult to intercept, as during the initial phase of a ballistic missile launch, the missile is relatively slow and not difficult to detect, making it an easier target for enemy anti-missile installations. (Comment: Cctv.com reported that this is the first time the missile has made a close-up public appearance since it came into service with the PLA.In April 2018, China's Ministry of National Defense announced that the missile has officially joined the PLA Rocket Force. 'Northwest China's Plateau and desert areas' would normally imply Qinghai and the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region and bring India within range.) |