a hypersonic weapon that hides in cities

In a context of growing strategic rivalry with the United States, China has intensified their Naval operations long range as part of an explicit demonstration of its global ambition. If the domain of the Pacific becomes fundamental, the construction of the aircraft carriers that Beijin has never had are The best track of his efforts.

Now, they have also added a powerful form of deterrence.

Presentation of a strategic weapon. China He has spread An unusual two -minute footage showing the launch of its supersonic cruise missile DF-100considered one of the key pieces of deterrence against US carriers and bases in the Pacific. The video, part of a documentary for the 98th anniversary of the EPL, confirms for the first time Specifications already advanced in the Zhuhai Air Hall of 2024: range of 3,000 to 4,000 km, Mach 4 cruise speed, high precision, great penetration capacity and impact time of about 40 minutes.

These characteristics place under direct threat Military facilities in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and American bases in Okinawa and Guam, opening the possibility of hitting even beyond the second island chain. He DF-100 It is dual platform, capable of launching from off -road vehicles or from H-6N bomberswhich expands its radius of action about 6,000 km.

Technical characteristics. The footage, although blurred to protect sensitive data, shows A conical eye Designed for supersonic penetration, large rear fins for high maneuverability and wings Strake type For stability. The system uses a Three stages propulsion: Solid starting rocket, supersonic combustion stator for sustained flight in the stratosphere and a high altitude propeller for the terminal phase.

This configuration allows you to keep speed Mach 4 throughout the journey and execute evasive attacks at low level. Its guided combines inertial navigation, correspondence of land or images, and positioning By Beidou satellite to achieve precision at the level of meters. It can attack both mobile and fixed objectives of high value, including command centers, logistics knots and key points to paralyze operations.

Mobility and operational flexibility. Unlike the tests in common desert areas, the launch was shown in An urban environmentwhich, according to analysts, seeks to show that DF-100 can operate from unconventional locations such as cities, hindering its detection and destruction by adversary forces.

Under that prism, this flexibility would allow to deploy it quickly and from unpredictable positions, reinforcing its value as a weapon to “hit and disappear.” Its ability to launch from multiple platforms and in varied environments increases the tactical options of the EPL and complicates the countermeasures enemy.

Strategic context. We have Cash before: the public appearance of DF-100 It is part of a moment of growing global military competence and responds, according to experts, to the will of Beijing of Project strength and reaffirm its arms modernization. Although the EPL rocket force has recently been dotted with corruption scandalsthe demonstration emphasizes that their material abilities remain intact.

The DF-100, the only land cruise missile capable of maintaining supersonic speed During the whole flight It reinforces the Chinese strategy to deny access and limit the projection of American naval power in the Western Pacific, positioning itself as one of the “master letters” of the Chinese arsenal in a possible confrontation scenario.

Image | CCTV

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