Latest news with #DF-100
AllAfrica
12 hours ago
- Politics
- AllAfrica
China reveals DF-100 missile in response to US encirclement
This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China released rare new DF-100 footage as part of a People's Liberation Army (PLA) documentary marking the force's 98th anniversary, offering fresh visual cues on the supersonic cruise missile's specifications and strategic reach. The two-minute video shows the DF-100 operating during a cable communications exercise simulating full-spectrum jamming, reinforcing the archetype: a fast, long-range strike platform meant to arrive in waves and overwhelm layered defenses across the First and Second Island chains before they can react. Technically, the system slots into China's strike portfolio as a high-speed standoff weapon. The DF-100, first unveiled in 2019, is credited with a 3,000–4,000-kilometer range, a Mach 4 cruising speed and high strike accuracy, enabling time-on-target hits within 40 minutes. Those capabilities, if accurate and realized, bring US bases in Okinawa and Guam and key logistics hubs in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea into the weapon's target range. The DF-100 can launch from road-mobile vehicles or the H-6N bomber, with air launch extending reach to roughly 6,000 kilometers. Footage highlighting a sharp conical warhead and oversized tail fins suggests maneuver authority and penetration potential, while the urban launch scene telegraphs mobility and survivability in cluttered terrain. As a class, supersonic standoff munitions occupy a purposeful middle ground. In a November 2020 War on the Rocks article, David Zikusoka notes that weapons flying between Mach 1 and Mach 5 balance speed, cost and survivability, arriving faster than subsonic cruise missiles and striking time-sensitive targets in minutes without the nuclear ambiguity of ballistic or hypersonic trajectories. Zikusoka adds that, while not invulnerable, this speed envelope complicates interception timelines and compresses decision cycles, particularly when used in coordinated salvos that strain radar tracking and fire-control loops. The DF-100's value also lies in how it can be teamed with ballistic missile fires. The China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) mentions in a November 2020 report that the DF-100 does not extend China's geographic reach beyond existing ballistic systems, but it enables simultaneous time-on-target salvos alongside DF-21 or DF-26 missiles, forcing defenders to counter different flight profiles at once. That complexity amplifies a preexisting problem. Asia Times has previously noted that Guam's disjointed air and missile defense architecture may be insufficient against saturation attacks mixing drones, ballistic missiles and supersonic and subsonic cruise missiles with hypersonic gliders—an attack geometry designed to exhaust interceptors and create exploitable gaps. US magazine depth and reload constraints magnify that risk. Greg Hayden mentions in an April 2025 CIRIS article that even sophisticated US missile defenses can be emptied quickly by China's expanding arsenal because interceptor stockpiles are limited. Hayden points out that at-sea reloading delays for Aegis-equipped warships can sideline launchers for hours or days, while production bottlenecks and single-source dependencies hinder rapid replenishment. He also adds that without at-sea reloading and genuine surge manufacturing, US missile defenses could collapse in a high-intensity fight as shot doctrine collides with inventory reality. Yet China's precision fire is only as deadly as its ability to find, fix and finish targets at scale, and that is where its system-level vulnerability sits. General Chance Saltzman highlighted in an April 2025 hearing before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission that the PLA's precision strike enterprise leans heavily on more than 500 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites—optical, radar and radiofrequency (RF)—to build a space-enabled targeting network capable of holding US and allied forces at risk. Saltzman mentioned that these assets are inherently vulnerable due to predictable orbits and limited defensive measures, stressing that degrading China's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) backbone could blunt its long-range strike capability by breaking the cueing chain that missiles like the DF-100 require. The timing and tone of the DF-100's showcase also fit a signaling pattern tied to US missile placements along China's periphery. In September 2024, China conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch in 44 years, a move that coincided with the announcement that month of the indefinite US Typhon missile deployment in the Philippines. The Typhon launcher can fire SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles, the latter capable of striking mainland targets. Following the Typhon deployment, the US indefinitely stationed the shorter-ranged Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) in the Philippines, with plans unveiled this month to deploy NMESIS in Japan as well. The DF-100's supersonic speed maps neatly to time-sensitive, high-value mobile targets such as Typhon and NMESIS, threatening to kill them before they can fire or relocate—an effect that increases confidence in preemption while inviting counter-preemption. This US deployment pattern is read in Beijing as part of a broader containment scheme. In a January 2024 report for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Veerle Nouwens and other writers mention that Chinese analysts perceive US plans to field land-based missiles across the First and Second Island Chains as a direct challenge to China's strategic mobility and posture. According to Nouwens and others, these forward deployments are seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine China's anti-access/area-denial systems and threaten inland facilities. They note that, in response, Chinese strategists anticipate China will substantially increase its land-based missile deployments—conventional and nuclear—to counter the perceived encirclement. Capacity-wise, the PLA Rocket Force remains the backbone of that response. In a June 2025 US Senate Committee on Appropriations statement, ranking US officials mentioned that the PLARF is pressing ahead with modernization to deepen strategic deterrence. According to the statement, the PLARF possesses over 900 short-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching Taiwan; 400 ground-launched cruise missiles able to hit targets across the entire First Island Chain; 1,300 medium-range ballistic missiles that cover the Second Island Chain; 500 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can strike parts of Alaska and Australia; and more than 400 nuclear-capable ICBMs with global reach. Those numbers, combined with road mobility and decoys, illustrate how volume and variety can saturate defenses and create dilemmas at sea and ashore. But order-of-battle size is not the same as combat credibility. While acknowledging rapid modernization, Eamon Passey points out in a December 2024 article for the American Foreign Policy Council that the PLARF still suffers persistent capability gaps that undercut deterrence. Passey mentions that China has added dual-capable platforms and expanded joint training, but systemic weaknesses endure: a shortage of battle-tested personnel, unrealistic training scenarios, and poor-quality conscripts that limit operational credibility. In addition, Passey notes that corruption concerns further erode institutional integrity, complicating reform and readiness at precisely the moment China is attempting to knit sensors, shooters and command networks into a high-velocity kill web. Whether meant as a warning or a performance, the DF-100's reemergence signals that the next Pacific missile duel may hinge less on who fires first than on who can keep finding, hitting and sustaining the missile fight.
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
China showcases DF-100 missile for first time, its speed is…, capable of…, US is in tension due to its speed and strength?
China showcases DF-100 missile for first time, its speed is…, capable of…, US is in tension due to its speed and strength? Beijing: For the first time, neighbouring country China has released rare footage of its mysterious DF-100 supersonic cruise missile, increasing tensions of India and United States. The video of the lethal weapon has gone viral on the social media platforms. As per several media reports, the DF-100 missile is considered to be the biggest threat to American warship and military bases. According to the South China Morning Post report, the video clip was one of the few public demonstrations of the missile since its launch in 2019. In earlier footages, the launching vehicle of this missile was shown, making it difficult for experts to analyse its features and operation model.
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Big worry for US as China releases video of THIS missile for first time, missile is..., its speed, range and power...
New Delhi: China has released rare footage of its mysterious DF-100 supersonic cruise missile for the first time, revealing significant features of this missile. This missile is considered the biggest threat to American warships and military bases. America's concerns have also increased after the release of this video. According to the South China Morning Post report, this blurry footage is one of the few public demonstrations of the missile since its debut in 2019. Last time, only the launching vehicle of this missile was shown, making it difficult for experts to analyse its features and operational model. What is the new Chinese missile? This new Chinese missile is the DF-100, an anti-ship cruise missile. Its video was released by the PLA Rocket Force in 2019 and was later removed. The new video of the DF-100 missile is two minutes long. It was featured in the fifth and final episode of a People's Liberation Army documentary aired on Tuesday, 12 August. State media, including the China News Service and a social media account affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, later aired a video of the launch of the DF-100 cruise missile, officially confirming the model of the weapon. According to the report, the documentary was shot during events held to commemorate the 98th anniversary of the PLA. The People's Liberation Army will also hold a massive parade in Beijing on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's victory over Japan in World War II. When was the DF-100 missile displayed? The DF-100 was first displayed during the 70th National Anniversary Parade in 2019. However, the parade announcer referred to it as the CJ-100 despite its launch canister being marked 'DF-100'. The name DF – or Dong Feng – is commonly used for ballistic missiles, while CJ – or Chang Jian – refers to ground-attack cruise missiles. What is the range and speed of the DF-100? The DF-100 missile was also displayed at the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show. At that time, the Chinese military made public the features of this missile for the first time. It was said that the range of the DF-100 missile is 3,000-4,000 km (1,865-2,485 miles). This missile can penetrate strong structures with great accuracy at Mach 4 (about 5000 kmph) cruising speed. China claims that this missile can hit its target about 40 minutes after launching. Why is America concerned by the DF-100 missile? The maximum range of the DF-100 is far beyond the borders of mainland China. The range of this missile includes major military headquarters and major logistics centers in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, as well as US bases in Okinawa and Guam. This poses a threat to America's key Pacific region and its aircraft carriers and can weaken America's ability to deploy troops west of the second island chain.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Philippines Raps China Over "Dangerous Moves" as Beijing's Giant Killer DF-100 Missile Rattles US
China has released rare footage of its DF-100 supersonic cruise missile, showcasing its mobility and range across the Pacific. The reveal came amid heightened regional tensions as the Philippines condemned a hazardous maritime clash near Scarborough Shoal and President Marcos warned Manila could be pulled into a Taiwan conflict.0:00 INTRO2:55 PHILIPPINES SLAMS CHINA OVER 'DANGEROUS SEA CLASH'4:10 MARCOS: MANILA COULD BE 'DRAGGED INTO TAIWAN WAR' n18oc_world n18oc_crux
