China unveils 12,000-km long range ICBM

China’s has unveiled the next generation of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which has a range of 12,000 kms, putting it among the world’s longest-range missiles.

A piece of information revealed in a government environmental monitoring file has indirectly confirmed the existence of a new generation of Chinese ICBM, the Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) missile, a report on the website of state-run Global Times said. Tang Bohu, a military commentator with Ifeng News, told the paper that the confirmation of the existence of DF-41 missiles will give the international community, including the US, a new understanding of China’s nuclear power.

‘I believe revealing the information was unintentional. But sooner or later, China will demonstrate these new nuclear weapons at international military parades. Eventually, the weapons will be meant for deterrence,’ he said. Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military affairs commentator, said it is no surprise that China is researching the next generation of ICBMs.

‘The development pattern for our military industry is deploying one generation of weaponry, researching the next and forecasting a third. Now that the DF-31 missiles have long been in service, it is normal that research into the next generation is underway,’ he told the Global Times.