Latest news with #DF-17
India.com
4 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
11,000 kms/hour, three times faster than BrahMos, this deadliest variant of hypersonic missile by India is set to give tough answer to China's DF-17, it is…
India and Russia's joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace has restarted work at full speed on their next-generation missile, i.e. the BrahMos-2. This new missile will be three times faster than the current BrahMos and is expected to be a strong reply to China's DF-17 hypersonic missile. The BrahMos-2 will travel at a speed of Mach 9, which means around 11,000 kilometers per hour. At such speeds, it could reach its target in less than a minute, making it one of the most powerful weapon for India's defence. Hypersonic Speed and Radar Evasion According to reports, the BrahMos-2 missile will use a special type of engine called a scramjet, which will help it fly at very high speeds for a long time. It will use oxygen from the air while flying, so it won't need to carry extra fuel, which makes it lighter and more efficient. But this missile is not just about being fast, it is also very clever as it can fly close to the ground and make quick, sharp turns, which will help it stay out of sight from enemy radar systems. This missile will be very hard to detect or stop. Its smart design, stealth features, and advanced control system make it very hard to track which will give it a big edge during an attack. BrahMos-2 may shift regional power balance in India's favor China's DF-17 hypersonic missile is known for being fast and powerful, but India's new BrahMos-2 might go even beyond that. It can travel up to 1,500 kilometers and can be launched from land, sea, or air, making it useful in many types of battles. This kind of all-round strength makes BrahMos-2 a real game-changer. With rising tensions in South Asia, this missile could give India a strong advantage and help maintain a better balance of power in the region. Testing and what lies ahead This new missile is being developed together by India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia and as per recent updates, the testing of BrahMos-2 has already started. One of the biggest advantages of BrahMos-2 is that it can carry both normal (conventional) and nuclear warheads. This makes it useful for different types of military missions, whether they are small or large-scale.
News18
4 days ago
- Business
- News18
MACH 9, 3x Faster: Deadliest Version Of BrahMos-2 To Counter China's DF-17
With a 1,500 km range and launch ability from land, sea, and air, BrahMos-2 outmatches China's DF-17, boosting India's regional power amid rising South Asia tensions India and Russia's joint venture, Brahmos Aerospace, has accelerated the development of its next generation hypersonic missile, Brahmos-2, which is set to become the deadliest version yet, flying at speeds of 9 MACH. This new missile aims to provide a robust response to China's DF-17 hypersonic missile. Brahmos-2, which travels at approximately 11,000 km/h, is three times faster than the existing Brahmos missile and will significantly enhance India's strategic power in the defence sector. Blending Hypersonic Power With Radar Evasion Powered by a scramjet engine, Brahmos-2 maintains hypersonic speed for extended periods using atmospheric oxygen. Its low-altitude flight and sharp combat manoeuvre capabilities allow it to evade radar detection. Additionally, its advanced stealth technology and guidance system render it nearly invisible to enemy radar systems, capable of destroying targets in less than a minute, making it exceptionally lethal in combat. BrahMos-2 To Shift Regional Power Balance The Brahmos-2's range of 1,500 km and multi-platform launch capability, enabling deployment from land, sea, and air, surpass the capabilities of China's DF-17 missile system. This development will strengthen India's position in the regional power balance, particularly amid escalating tensions in South Asia. Testing Phase And What's Next Recent reports indicate that initial testing of Brahmos-2 has commenced. The missile is undergoing further refinement in collaboration with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia. Capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, Brahmos-2 holds strategic and tactical significance. This advancement will not only bolster India's defence capabilities but also enhance its standing in the global arms export market. view comments First Published: July 17, 2025, 10:48 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
AllAfrica
02-07-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Japan's railgun strikes at China's hypersonic shadow
Japan's prototype ship-mounted railgun marks a bold step toward fast, affordable missile defense as it works to fill crucial gaps revealed by China's hypersonic weapons and limited interceptor supplies. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Japan has fitted the test warship JS Asuka with a prototype electromagnetic railgun, marking a significant step toward deploying this advanced weapon system, as confirmed by recent online photos. In June, observers spotted the railgun – similar to a previous land-based prototype developed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) – in port with its protective shroud removed, revealing internal work underway. Maritime testing is expected before the end of July. Japan's progress contrasts with the US Navy's discontinued efforts in the early 2020s following sustained technical setbacks. The 6,200-ton Asuka accommodates containerized power systems to manage the energy demands of the railgun, which reportedly propels projectiles at Mach 6.5 using five megajoules of charge. ATLA aims to reduce power requirements while improving barrel longevity beyond the current 120-round lifespan. The initiative aligns with future deployment plans aboard 13DDX destroyers and Maya-class vessels to bolster defenses against hypersonic threats. Officials at the DSEI Japan 2025 defense and security equipment international forum cited continued collaboration with US counterparts and noted growing interest from France, Germany, China and Turkey in similar technologies. Japan's railgun ambitions reflect a strategic pivot to cost-effective, rapid-fire capabilities amid intensifying regional competition. Asia Times previously noted that the railgun's cost-effective ability to engage lower-tier threats helps reduce dependency on high-value interceptors, enabling sustained defenses against saturation missile attacks. Underscoring China's growing missile capabilities, Maki Nakagawa notes in a March 2025 article for the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF) that China has expanded five conventional brigades equipped with DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and CJ-10/100 cruise missiles capable of striking Japan. Nakagawa highlights that the DF-17's unpredictable trajectory and the CJ-100's low-altitude, supersonic profile challenge Japan's ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems. She adds that satellite imagery has confirmed construction at brigade-size facilities since 2018, with the 655th Brigade converted to a DF-17 unit in 2024. She states that the DF-26 intermediate-range missile, now fielded by four nuclear-capable brigades, has replaced older DF-21A units. Japan currently employs a two-tier missile defense system, with Aegis-equipped destroyers providing midcourse interception and Patriot batteries handling terminal defense. However, Kyodo News reported in October 2022 that Japan had only 60% of the necessary interceptor missiles for its Aegis and Patriot systems to counter threats from North Korea and China. To address the shortfall, Stars and Stripes reported in February 2025 that Japan purchased 150 SM-6 missiles worth USD 900 million from the US. Naval News reported in April 2025 that Japan proposed co-producing SM-6 interceptors for Aegis destroyers during talks with the United States, expanding on an earlier agreement to co-produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles. Yet, SM-6 production remains uncertain. Naval News reported in June 2025 that the US Navy's FY2026 missile procurement depended on passing a Republican-led reconciliation budget bill. The report said a funding shortfall in the proposed $817.4 million budget would trigger a contract breach, halting production after only 10 units. It added that disruption would jeopardize foreign orders from Japan, Australia, and South Korea. The bill, which had originated in the House of Representatives, passed the Senate on Tuesday. The report warned that such a scenario would undercut allied deterrence and expose vulnerabilities in integrated air and missile defense architectures. Former US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) director John Hill, cited by TWZ in February 2022, said that while the SM-6 is the only US interceptor theoretically capable of defeating hypersonic missiles, its capability remains 'nascent.' Meanwhile, the successor Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program faces delays. Defense News reported in March 2025 that the GPI, initially scheduled for deployment by 2032, now faces a three-year delay due to early program down-selection and reduced funding, pushing delivery to at least 2035. Andreas Schmidt, writing in Military Review in 2024, added that most hypersonic threats fly at altitudes between 20 and 60 kilometers above the reach of traditional surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and below the coverage of exo-atmospheric interceptors like the SM-3. He argued that terminal defense systems such as Patriot are better suited for intercepting hypersonics in their terminal phase, where the weapons slow below Mach 5 and become more predictable. However, even Patriot systems face production bottlenecks. Reuters reported in July 2024 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) could take years to scale up PAC-3 production due to a shortage of missile seekers supplied by Boeing. Although the report said Boeing aimed to increase output by 30% by building new production lines in the US, those lines were not expected to be operational until 2027. Guy McCardle noted in a November 2024 SOFREP article that the limited number of Patriot interceptors per battery and their high cost – $3.7 million per missile with a production lead time of nearly 20 months – constrain their operational use. He emphasized that PAC-3 missiles must be deployed strategically to maximize their effectiveness against saturation attacks. Given the limitations of SM-6 and Patriot systems, Japan's railgun may alleviate concerns over magazine depth and cost. Japan's Aegis warships – including four Kongo-class, two Atago-class, and two Maya-class destroyers – each carries 90 to 96 vertical launch system (VLS) cells. Yet, these may prove insufficient during a saturation attack involving hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles, alongside kamikaze drones. A railgun, integrated onto these platforms or future Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), could significantly enhance magazine capacity. According to a 2021 conference paper by Shreyas Maitreya and others, a 450-millimeter railgun projectile costs around $25,000, compared with missiles priced between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Unlike missiles, they note railgun rounds are inert and pose no risk of accidental detonation, easing transport and storage constraints. Nevertheless, ATLA equipment policy division principal director Kazumi Ito acknowledged in a June 2025 National Defense Magazine article that the railgun project still faces considerable technical challenges. In the same piece, Stew Magnuson notes unresolved issues including barrel wear, energy supply, heat dissipation and development of a high-speed targeting system. Despite these hurdles, Japan's push to operationalize railgun technology reflects a pragmatic response to a regional threat environment shaped by hypersonic proliferation, interceptor shortages and constrained missile defense capacity.
Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Military Issues Update on China's Rocket Force Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chinese Rocket Force's increasingly capable missile fleet is a growing threat to U.S. bases and security partners in the Asia-Pacific, top Pentagon officials told lawmakers. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment outside of office hours. Why It Matters The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is responsible for China's missile and nuclear arsenal and is a key component of Beijing's efforts to surpass Washington as the region's leading military power. In some areas, the Rocket Force's capabilities have already surpassed those of the United States, such as with its so-called "carrier killer" hypersonic missiles. While these weapons remain untested in combat, they could potentially keep American forces at bay in a wartime scenario. What To Know "The PLA's Rocket Force (PLARF) is advancing its long-term modernization plans to enhance its strategic deterrence capabilities," read a written testimony by U.S. Air Force and Space Force leadership prepared for a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing. China's missile arsenal is estimated to include 400 ground-launched cruise missiles capable of reaching anywhere within the so-called First Island Chain, a stretch of islands from Japan to Indonesia that Washington considers crucial for containing China's navy in the event of a conflict, such as one over Beijing-claimed Taiwan. A DF-17 missile on display during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019. A DF-17 missile on display during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images China is also believed to field 1,300 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can strike targets even further afield, threatening the Second Island Chain, which includes U.S. military bases in Guam. Another 500 medium-range missiles put parts of Alaska and U.S.-allied Australia within range, while 900 short-range ballistic missiles could easily cross the narrow Taiwan Strait to strike the self-ruled democracy. The Rocket Force's arsenal also includes 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere in the world. China's advances in hypersonic missile technology—difficult-to-intercept missiles that travel at over five times the speed of sound—remain a major concern for the Pentagon. In particular, the Dong Feng-17 hypersonic missile may increasingly replace older missile systems and could target foreign bases and naval assets in the Western Pacific, the officials said. Though China still lags far behind the U.S. and Russia in warhead count, the country has rapidly expanded its nuclear forces in recent years, a buildup analysts attribute to President Xi Jinping's emphasis on nuclear deterrence against the U.S. The Department of Defense estimates China surpassed the 600-warhead mark last year and is on track to field over 1,000 operational warheads in the coming years, according to the statement. Beyond missile systems, officials also discussed "kill webs," or networks of sensors, satellites, and weapons that detect threats, share data, and coordinate military responses across air, land, sea, and space. What People Are Saying General Chance Saltzman, U.S. Space Force chief of space operations, during the hearing: "My biggest concern is that the kill web, as we call it, that the PRC [People's Republic of China] has put in place allows them to track and target at great range the rest of the joint force in all the other domains. "They've put a very capable ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] web together on orbit, and if we're going to protect the joint force, we have to be able to mitigate the effects that they're generating by that constellation. General David Allvin, U.S. Air Force chief of staff: "The PRC is rapidly modernizing its military with the clear intent to reshape the international order—to include nuclear breakout that includes unmatched deterrence capabilities." What Happens Next Citing "unprecedented threats to our homeland," Allvin outlined three top priorities for the service: to defend the homeland by detecting, tracking, and defeating threats; to provide a reliable, safe, and effective nuclear deterrent; and to project power globally—either independently or as part of a joint force. The Pentagon has requested $961.6 billion for its 2026 defense budget—an amount that, supporters note, is roughly half the proportion of the U.S.'s GDP that defense spending consumed during the height of the Cold War.
South China Morning Post
08-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Can China launch hypersonic glider from satellite? Rocket force study suggests possibility
China 's hypersonic weapons can travel at extreme speeds of up to Mach 20, strike global targets within half an hour and even be launched from space , according to a new study. Advertisement Researchers from the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) summarised the capabilities and vulnerabilities of China's re-entry glide missiles , revealing they can travel up to 21,000km/h (13,000 miles per hour) in high altitudes within the atmosphere. Certain variants may even be launched from space-based platforms, making them 'capable of drastically compressing the adversary's early-warning system response time and operational scope, thereby enhancing the probability of successful penetration', researchers wrote. The analysis, published last month in China's authoritative academic journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, likely disclosed some details for the first time and corroborated earlier reports from the US that critics dismissed as hype. In 2021, The Financial Times cited US military intelligence claiming China tested two hypersonic weapons released from near-Earth orbit, but some military experts called the orbital bombardment tech ' science fiction '. Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-17 roll during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing in 2019. Photo: Handout
