China has released fresh footage of multiple DF-17 hypersonic missile launch vehicles, described by Chinese defence experts as the first of its kind in the world, as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marked its 99th anniversary.
Footage released by state television on Monday showed at least six DF-17 hypersonic missile launch vehicles of the PLA Rocket Force appearing together in a single frame.
Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told state-run Global Times that the DF-17 is a key component of China’s missile force and could reshape modern air-defence operations.
He said the weapon’s hypersonic speed enables it to penetrate advanced air-defence systems and accurately strike key military targets.
Zhang said the missile has been mass-deployed and is on combat duty.
According to him, the missile is capable of travelling at hypersonic speed while making lateral manoeuvres during flight, making its trajectory difficult to predict.He said these flight characteristics make it difficult for conventional air-defence systems to track and intercept the weapon effectively.
The video clip, released by CCTVÂ Â News, shows a line of DF-17 transporter erector launchers (TELs) driving in orderly formation on a rural road.
The missile is believed to have a range of 1,800-2,500 km, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
It means the missiles can reach the first island chain, a strategic arc of islands in the western Pacific that extends from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, and beyond.
The DF-17, which made its debut at the National Day military parade in Beijing in October 2019, is China’s first operational hypersonic glide weapon and is generally regarded as the first of its kind to enter service anywhere in the world, according to the Post.
