A highly accurate medium-range Chinese missile capable of threatening U.S. and Japanese bases in Asia has made its latest appearance at recent Rocket Force drills.
The mobile launch vehicles DF—16 featured in a video posted last week on the Defense Ministry’s website showing the missiles being deployed during exercises over the just-concluded Lunar New Year holiday.
First displayed at a military parade in 2015, the missile is believed to have a range of 1,000 km, putting it within striking distance of Okinawa, home to several U.S. military installations, and the Japanese home islands, as well as Taiwan and the Philippines.
The two-stage DF—16 replaces the older DF—11, with a final stage that can adjust its direction to strike moving targets and evade defenses, and carries a powerful warhead.
