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HomeDefenceChina’s most advanced nuclear missile DF-16 spotted based at an abandoned airfield

China’s most advanced nuclear missile DF-16 spotted based at an abandoned airfield

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Unveiled in 2015, DF-16 is designed to evade world-class interception systems; user drills were conducted in May last year.

New Delhi: China’s advanced medium-range nuclear-capable missile — the DF-16 — has been spotted in what appears to be an abandoned airfield in the southern province of Guangzhou, latest satellite images reveal. The solid-fuel missile with a range of 1,000 km is designed to evade the most advanced air defence systems in the world.

Nuclear exercise

Chinese strategic forces, also known as People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force or PLARF, have made tremendous progress since its raising on 1 July 1966. From a small force manning the DongFeng (Eastern Winds) missiles, known as the Second Artillery Corps (SAC), they have transformed into an automated modern force capable of taking out targets with precision across most of the world.

Vinayak Bhat/ThePrint

The PLARF recently made upgrades to its inventory and has been conducting training exercises to ensure the mobility of its weaponry and enhance its soldiers’ ability to operate the missiles under various conditions of light, environment, weather and geography.

One such exercise was conducted at the end of May 2017, with 18 transporter erector launchers. This exercise has been caught in the latest satellite imagery that ThePrint has analysed. The drills were carried out close to Shaoguan, Guangzhou, in southern China.

Abandoned airfield

Vinayak Bhat/ThePrint

The location appears to be an isolated and abandoned airfield, which was earlier a base for J-7E combat aircraft of the 9th Fighter Division. It was abandoned somewhere around the year 2000. The isolated location provides the perfect environment for training exercises of the PLARF with a support base barely 15 km northwest of the military township of Lishizhen.

The location has access to major road, rail, speed rail and obviously air. The airstrip was probably repaired in 2012 to bring it back to shape. Between 2012 and 2013, a separate fenced area has been constructed with administrative and living buildings.

There is a special platform prepared possibly for communication vehicles supporting the deployed unit. The size and shape of the antenna suggests it is high-frequency communication. A weather monitoring station also exists at the airbase.

DF-16

Satellite imagery available is not of high enough resolution, making it difficult to accurately identify the missile type. However, the size and shape of transporter erector launchers or TELs suggests that it is most likely to be a DF-16 system.

Vinayak Bhat/ThePrint

The DF-16 is the latest of DongFeng series of medium-range ballistic missiles or MRBMs in PLARF inventory. It made its debut on 3 September 2015 parade at Beijing. It was also paraded during the 90th Anniversary of People’s Liberation Army or PLA.

It is a solid fuelled missile and comes with a range of 1,000 km. This version of DF-16 is believed to rise higher before re-entry to evade MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missile systems.

DF-16 is considered the most efficient among the world’s medium-range ballistic missiles due to its ability to penetrate, anti-jamming capability and accuracy.

This has a TEL very similar to DF-21, making it difficult for most experts to identify it with accuracy.

Deployment

Satellite imagery dated 28 May, 2017 shows 18 TELs and a few support vehicles. The TELs of DF-16 are seen adopting a possible convoy formation ready for march. Seven TELs are lined up and other TELs are parked as if in a garrison parking area.

Three small vehicles are observed ahead of the convoy and two are seen on the side of the convoy. These are probably used for military police escort that are seen with PLARF convoys. There are 19 temporary shelters observed near the ATC complex of the airport. These 18 m x 6 m shelters have camouflage pattern to evade detection. These are possibly used for parking of the TELs and specifically designed for field deployment and camouflage of the TELs.

Vinayak Bhat/ThePrint

The DF-16 deployment at this isolated airbase provides an excellent opportunity for training without much support elements. The abandoned airport seems to have been made usable as a field deployment location for testing/training/deployment of PLARF forces.

Implications

The location of DF-16 deployment area falls under the 827th Brigade of 52nd Base of the PLARF. The brigade was earlier known to have DF-21Cs.

This identification indicates that either 827th Brigade’s assets have been changed or an additional brigade has been allotted to the 52nd Base.

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