China Unveils New Ballistic Missile Capable Of Threatening Taiwan, US Bases In Asia
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Feb 6, 2017
Two weeks after China allegedly unveiled a new ICBM system “in response to Trump’s provocative remarks”, a report which however was subsequently denied by Chinese officials, China had no qualms about revealing another highly accurate ballistic missile in recent Rocket Force drills, which is capable of threatening not only Taiwan and the contested South China Sea islands, but also U.S. and Japanese bases in Asia.
As AP reports, the medium-range DF-16 featured in a video posted last week on the Defense Ministry’s website showing the missiles aboard their 10-wheeled mobile launch vehicles being deployed in deep forest during exercises over the just-concluded Lunar New Year holiday.
While the Rocket Force boasts an extensive armory of missiles of various ranges, the DF-16 fills a particular role in extending China’s reach over waters it seeks to control within what it calls the “first-island chain.”
Some more details from the missile’s public profile,the DF-16 is a new-model missile that has a longer range than the DF-15 (between 1,000–1,600 km (620–990 mi)). A Taiwan official announced on March 16, 2011 that Taiwan believed China had begun deploying the missiles.
The DF-16 represents an increased threat to Taiwan because it is more difficult to intercept for anti-ballistic missiles systems such as the MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3. Due to its increased range, the missile has to climb to higher altitudes before descending, giving more time for gravity to accelerate it on re-entry, faster than a PAC-3 could effectively engage it. The DF-16 is a MRBM longer and wider than previous models with a 1,000–1,500 kg (2,200–3,300 lb) warhead. Its bi-conic warhead structure leaves room for potential growth to include specialized terminally guided and deep penetrating warheads. It is launched from a 10×10 wheeled TEL similar to that of the DF-21, but instead of a “cold launch” missile storage tube it uses a new protective “shell” to cover the missile.
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