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PR China intermediate-range ballistic missile From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dong Feng-26 or DF-26 (simplified Chinese: 东风-26; traditional Chinese: 東風-26; lit. 'East Wind-26'; NATO reporting name: CH-SS-18[4]) is an intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force and produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).[5]
| DF-26 | |
|---|---|
DF-26 missile as seen after the military parade on September 3, 2015. | |
| Type | IRBM ASBM |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2016[1][citation needed] |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Rocket Force |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | 1,200–1,800 kg thermonuclear weapon Conventional[2] |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 5,000 km (3,100 mi)[1][citation needed] |
| Accuracy | 100 m (330 ft) CEP[3] |
Launch platform | Mobile launcher |
Chinese sources claim the DF-26 has a range of over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) and may conduct precision nuclear or conventional strikes against ground and naval targets.[1][citation needed] It is China's first conventionally-armed ballistic missile claimed to be capable of reaching Guam and the American military installations located there;[3] this has led to the missile being referred to as the "Guam Express" or "Guam Killer".[6]
The possibility that a DF-26 unit could have nuclear warheads makes it likely an adversary would target these missiles in a first strike.[7]
The missile was officially revealed at the Chinese 2015 parade commemorating the end of the Second World War.[3] In April 2018, it was officially confirmed that the DF-26 was in service with the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF).[8] The United States believes the missile was first fielded in 2016,[1][citation needed] with 16 operational launchers in 2017.[9][needs update]
On 26 August 2020, along with a DF-21D, a DF-26B was launched into an area of the South China Sea between Hainan and the Paracel Islands, one day after China said that an American U-2 spy plane entered a no-fly zone without its permission during a Chinese live-fire naval drill in the Bohai Sea off its north coast[10] (the US confirmed a U-2 sortie but denied it was improper.[11][12][13]) and came as Washington blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military activities in the South China Sea.[14][15][16] US officials subsequently claimed that the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) had fired four medium-range ballistic missiles in total.[15][14] The missile tests drew criticism from Japan, the Pentagon and Taiwan and led to volatility in Asian markets.[17][15][14][18] As of 2019, the DF-26 has not been tested against targets at sea.[19]
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