The DEFCON Warning System™

Ongoing GeoIntel and Analysis in the theater of nuclear war.  DEFCON Level assessment issued for public notification.  Established 1984.

China missiles capable of sending nukes to Western Pacific

China deployed new ballistic missiles last year capable of delivering nuclear warheads to ground targets in the Western Pacific, the Pentagon said.

The intermediate-range Dongfeng-26 rockets could also be used for conventional strikes against ships in the region, the U.S. Department of Defense said in its annual report on China’s military. The deployment has been anticipated since at least September, when the missiles were displayed during a military parade hosted by President Xi Jinping.

The weapons represent China’s latest strategic advancement after two decades of budget increases that turned it into the world’s second-largest military spender. The modernization drive, which has focused on expanding China’s air and naval reach, is challenging more than 70 years of U.S. military dominance in the Western Pacific.

In 2016, Xi also began a sweeping structural overhaul of the military that saw the elevation of China’s rocket force to a branch equal with the army, navy and air force. The DF-26 joins an arsenal that includes DF-21 “carrier killer” missiles.

Full article at Japan Times

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The DEFCON Warning System is a private intelligence organization which has monitored and assessed nuclear threats by national entities since 1984. It is not affiliated with any government agency and does not represent the alert status of any military branch. The public should make their own evaluations and not rely on the DEFCON Warning System for any strategic planning. At all times, citizens are urged to learn what steps to take in the event of a nuclear attack.