China Revamping Nuclear Missile Sites, Report Says

Notable changes have been made to apparent ballistic missile launch sites in north-central China, possibly bringing northern India and Russian nuclear facilities within range, the Federation of American Scientists reported yesterday (see GSN, July 12).

Commercial satellite images taken late last year showed great activity at the missile sites, situated roughly 10,000 feet above sea level in the Delingha Mountain Range. 

Experts long thought the area housed Dongfeng 4 liquid-fuel ICBMs but the images now show what might be solid-fuel Dongfeng 21 medium-range missiles, the FAS analysis said.

The mobile-launched Dongfeng 21 has an estimated range of 1,330 miles and was China’s first solid-fuel ballistic missile.  It might be able to carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of 200-300 kilotons, according to the FAS report.

Working with the 1,330-mile range, the Delingha site brings three Russian ICBM sites as well as a Russian strategic bomber base into range.  The missiles could also reach much of northern India, including New Delhi, according to the report (Hans Kristensen, Federation of American Scientists, July 12).

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