The Print:
New Delhi: China’s advanced medium-range nuclear-capable missile — the DF-16 — has been spotted in what appears to be an abandoned airfield in the southern province of Guangzhou, latest satellite images reveal. The solid-fuel missile with a range of 1,000 km is designed to evade the most advanced air defence systems in the world.
Chinese strategic forces, also known as People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force or PLARF, have made tremendous progress since its raising on 1 July 1966. From a small force manning the DongFeng (Eastern Winds) missiles, known as the Second Artillery Corps (SAC), they have transformed into an automated modern force capable of taking out targets with precision across most of the world.
The PLARF recently made upgrades to its inventory and has been conducting training exercises to ensure the mobility of its weaponry and enhance its soldiers’ ability to operate the missiles under various conditions of light, environment, weather and geography.
