Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun disclosed (July 20) that China fired six DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles on July 1 from different points in southern China which landed almost simultaneously in the sea north of the Spratly Islands. This is the first confirmed testing of anti-ship ballistic missiles by China in the South China Sea. Some of the missiles flew more than 1,000 kilometers to their target. The Chinese Defense Ministry has so far said only that they “practiced live ammunition shooting” in the South China Sea, without specifying a date and time, but has not confirmed any missile launches. Prior to the exercise, China’s Maritime Safety Administration had prohibited the operation of ordinary ships in the area from June 29 to July 3, citing “military training.”

(Comment: The DF-21D, nicknamed the “aircraft carrier killer”, is operated by China’s Rocket Force, which is a strategic missile unit. The test firing would be a warning to the US against aggressive patrolling in the South China Sea.)