China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean. Foreign reports suggest the missile likely fell in waters near Australia.
The Rocket Force launched an ICBM equipped with a training dummy warhead into the Pacific high seas at 8:44 AM on Thursday. However, details about the missile’s specifications, flight trajectory, and exact impact point remain unconfirmed.
Insiders report that this ICBM launch was part of the Rocket Force’s annual training regimen to assess the performance of their weapons systems. The Chinese Ministry of Defense has since confirmed that relevant nations were notified in advance, emphasizing that the nest was not directed at any specific country and complied with international law.
Japan’s NHK also reported that both the U.S. and Australia were informed ahead of the launch and speculated that the missile likely fell in international waters near Australia.
Some reports highlight that this is China’s first ICBM test in the Pacific since 1980 when they launched a Dongfeng (DF)-5 missile. Ankit Panda, a Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described the event as “very unusual,” noting that this may indicate a reassessment of China’s testing requirements amidst the modernization of its nuclear arsenal. Panda speculated that this missile could be a next-generation ICBM, possibly being tested in the Pacific for the first time.
A military expert in Beijing, who requested anonymity, also suggested that the ICBM tested could have been a DF-31 or DF-41.
A recent U.S. Department of Defense report estimates that China has around 500 operational nuclear warheads, with projections suggesting this number could surpass 1,000 by 2030. Among China’s missile arsenal, the DF-41, with a range between 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers (7,500 to 9,300 miles), can reach nearly any target on Earth, including the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.
Analysts also interpret this ICBM test launch as a strategic move to counter the AUKUS security alliance (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), which recently marked its third anniversary. The launch may also counter the U.S. Army’s recent deployment of its Mid-Range Capability missile system, known as “Typhon,” deployed in northern Luzon, Philippines. This development is likely to heighten tensions between China and the U.S.
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