The Washington Times:

Deployment of China‘s new DF-26 intermediate-range missile, dubbed the “Guam killer” by Beijing, has rapidly expanded over the past year, according to a Pentagon intelligence report.

The latest report by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) on ballistic and cruise missile threats reveals the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force of arsenal of DF-26 missile launchers increased from 200 road-mobile launchers in 2019 to 350 launchers in less than seven months. The number of missiles deployed likely exceeds the launcher numbers, based on “refire” missiles that are kept in reserve and placed on launchers after the first missile is fired, the report said.

The rapid expansion is part of a large force of more than 2,000 ballistic and cruise missiles, including short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range and intercontinental missiles that the report notes are increasing in both numbers and variants.

“China continues to have the most active and diverse ballistic missile development program in the world,” states the NASIC report, produced in July with the Defense Intelligence Ballistic Missile Analysis Committee. “It is developing and testing offensive missiles, forming additional missile units, upgrading missile systems, and developing methods to counter ballistic missile defenses.”

The report offers new details of the DF-26, which can be armed with either nuclear or conventional warheads and is deployed on road-mobile launchers to thwart pre-launch attacks…


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