China reveals footage of hypersonic missile launch

China revealed a series of footage of advanced weapon training and said it would not stand by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The country raised the level of warning by revealing the footage of the launch of hypersonic missile DF-17, which cannot be intercepted by the existing missile air defense system, for the first time.

China Central Television revealed the footage of military training mobilizing an amphibious assault ship, aerial tanker plane, and new destroyer. The launch of a missile believed to be DF-17 from a transporter erector launcher in a desert garnered the most attention in the 84-second video. Ming Pao of Hong Kong and the Liberty Times of Taiwan reported that China revealed the footage of DF-17 launch for the first time.

The missile, which was revealed for the first time during a military trade for National Day of the People's Republic of China in October 2019, is 10 times faster than the speed of sound. Its range is 2,500 kilometers, which covers all areas in Northeast Asia. The missile can also change its trajectory during flight at a fast speed, which is why experts believe that it cannot be intercepted with the existing air defense system. While China and Russia successfully developed and deployed hypersonic missiles, the U.S. only recently test-launched it successfully.

The footage also included new helicopter Z-20 training with Type 075 amphibious assault ship, which is also called a helicopter aircraft carrier. An amphibious assault ship, which can carry dozens of helicopters along with amphibious tanks and armored cars, is regarded as a weapon targeting Taiwan and the South China Sea. The footage also revealed the training of new aerial tanker YU-20 and Type 055 destroyer, which was deployed recently. Type 055 destroyer is considered to have the best performance among destroyers owned by China.


Ki-Yong Kim kky@donga.com