IRIA News

China’s new ‘carrier-killer’ DF-26 missile is capable of going nuclear and more mobile, with the intent of becoming a deterrent against conflict in the South China Sea.

BEIJING (China) – China’s new DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile, unveiled in September, has the capability to arm a nuclear warhead against an aircraft carrier, according to findings by researcher Andrew Erickson in the Chinese-language China Youth Daily newspaper.

Unlike its predecessor, the shorter-range DF-21D, the new missile allows for nuclear warheads to be mounted on it, which lets China use its limited nuclear potential against both strategic and tactical targets. The missile aims to change the power balance in the South China Sea, according to the newspaper.

The DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is said to be world’s first operational anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). The DF-21 has also been developed into a space-capable anti-satellite weapon/anti-missile weapon carrier.

The DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was unveiled during the 3 September military parade in China. Besides conducting “nuclear counterattack” missions, the DF-26 could also attack “medium-size ships at sea” as part of “conventional long-range precision strike”.

But DF-26’s “that ‘change the warhead, not the missile‘ feature provides a rapid switch between nuclear and conventional,” the Chinese article said.

With estimated range of 3,000-4,000 km, DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile, is often termed as the one of the weapons that can target US Navy formations in the “Second Island Chain” or out to Guam.

But why China went on to developed the Dongfeng-26 when Dongfeng-21D has already been dubbed the “carrier killer”?

The article, written by Wang Changqin and Fang Guangming, which explains the answer can be found here but here are but below are some of the reasons described in the article:

• DF-26 has multiple uses—not just killing carriers
  “In contrast with the DF-21D is the DF-26’s distinct characteristic of being nuclear and conventional all in one; that is, the one missile body can carry a nuclear warhead [singular or plural not indicated] for a nuclear strike against the enemy, or it can carry a conventional warhead [singular or plural not indicated] for a conventional firepower attack against the enemy. That “change the warhead, not the missile” feature provides a rapid switch between nuclear and conventional.”
• DF-26 can help enhance China’s Nuclear Arsenal size
  “Given that China has only a limited number of nuclear weapons, and as a medium range ballistic missile, by changing to a nuclear warhead at the last minute it [the DF-26] can as needed form up a nuclear deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability linking long and short ranges and strategic and campaign roles.”
• Nuclear and Conventional all-in-one, Mobile Launch
  Compared with silo-launched and site launched ballistic missiles, another distinct characteristic of the DF-26 is that it can be launched on the move with no support. Land-based mobile launches in the past, whether with movement by rail or by road, all required a launch site prepared in advance. DF-26 does not rely on a site for mobile launching. It can move fast, and it has no strict demands for where it is launched. So that is helpful to movement of missile forces all over and in concealment, and it is helpful to the rapid deployment, rapid launch, and rapid displacement of combat elements. “
• DF-26 uses offense to assist defense, meet challenges
  With the development of anti-identification, anti-interception, and highly integrated technology, the mobility, the ability to penetrate defenses, and the precision of strategic, campaign, and tactical missiles have all improved. By way of technical upgrades and merging into integrated, joint operations networked information systems, the DF-26’s overall tactical and technical performance has continually improved to where it can be considered a prized possession that “uses offense to assist defense, meets challenges.”
• Focus on Air-Sea Integrated Battle
  Although the United States has repackaged “Air-Sea Integrated Battle” as a “Joint Concept for Access and Maneuver in the Global Commons” in order to balance the competing interests of the services, weaken the “hot war” flavor, lower the risk of “clashes,” and seek extra credit for “morality,” the overall message shows that its original concept and plan, “based on hot war,” “split the region,” and “disrupt stability,” is essentially unchanged. On the contrary, it has stepped up relevant preparations under the flag of “protecting regional security and peace” and “ensuring that the communal right of navigation is not changed.” For example, the Pentagon is making adjustments which will have 60% of its naval forces, including aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, cruisers, destroyers, and coastal warships deployed in the Asia-Pacific region, and bring together sea-based, air-based, and space-based forces as “joint strike task forces.”

The DF-26, a two-stage solid-fuel rocket IRBM, measures 14 meters long with a diameter of 1.4 m and a launch weight of 20 tons. It can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead that weighs 1,200-1,800 kilograms and has an estimated maximum range of more than 5,000 km, which means it can strike U.S. military bases in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean or Guam in the Asia-Pacific.