Latest news with #RocketForce
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Military Issues Update on China's Rocket Force Threat
The Chinese Rocket Force's increasingly capable missile fleet is a growing threat to U.S. bases and security partners in the Asia-Pacific, top Pentagon officials told lawmakers. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment outside of office hours. The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is responsible for China's missile and nuclear arsenal and is a key component of Beijing's efforts to surpass Washington as the region's leading military power. In some areas, the Rocket Force's capabilities have already surpassed those of the United States, such as with its so-called "carrier killer" hypersonic missiles. While these weapons remain untested in combat, they could potentially keep American forces at bay in a wartime scenario. "The PLA's Rocket Force (PLARF) is advancing its long-term modernization plans to enhance its strategic deterrence capabilities," read a written testimony by U.S. Air Force and Space Force leadership prepared for a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing. China's missile arsenal is estimated to include 400 ground-launched cruise missiles capable of reaching anywhere within the so-called First Island Chain, a stretch of islands from Japan to Indonesia that Washington considers crucial for containing China's navy in the event of a conflict, such as one over Beijing-claimed Taiwan. China is also believed to field 1,300 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can strike targets even further afield, threatening the Second Island Chain, which includes U.S. military bases in Guam. Another 500 medium-range missiles put parts of Alaska and U.S.-allied Australia within range, while 900 short-range ballistic missiles could easily cross the narrow Taiwan Strait to strike the self-ruled democracy. The Rocket Force's arsenal also includes 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere in the world. China's advances in hypersonic missile technology—difficult-to-intercept missiles that travel at over five times the speed of sound—remain a major concern for the Pentagon. In particular, the Dong Feng-17 hypersonic missile may increasingly replace older missile systems and could target foreign bases and naval assets in the Western Pacific, the officials said. Though China still lags far behind the U.S. and Russia in warhead count, the country has rapidly expanded its nuclear forces in recent years, a buildup analysts attribute to President Xi Jinping's emphasis on nuclear deterrence against the U.S. The Department of Defense estimates China surpassed the 600-warhead mark last year and is on track to field over 1,000 operational warheads in the coming years, according to the statement. Beyond missile systems, officials also discussed "kill webs," or networks of sensors, satellites, and weapons that detect threats, share data, and coordinate military responses across air, land, sea, and space. General Chance Saltzman, U.S. Space Force chief of space operations, during the hearing: "My biggest concern is that the kill web, as we call it, that the PRC [People's Republic of China] has put in place allows them to track and target at great range the rest of the joint force in all the other domains. "They've put a very capable ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] web together on orbit, and if we're going to protect the joint force, we have to be able to mitigate the effects that they're generating by that constellation. General David Allvin, U.S. Air Force chief of staff: "The PRC is rapidly modernizing its military with the clear intent to reshape the international order—to include nuclear breakout that includes unmatched deterrence capabilities." Citing "unprecedented threats to our homeland," Allvin outlined three top priorities for the service: to defend the homeland by detecting, tracking, and defeating threats; to provide a reliable, safe, and effective nuclear deterrent; and to project power globally—either independently or as part of a joint force. The Pentagon has requested $961.6 billion for its 2026 defense budget—an amount that, supporters note, is roughly half the proportion of the U.S.'s GDP that defense spending consumed during the height of the Cold War. Related Articles China Reveals Fighter Jets Expelled Foreign Military AircraftWho Will Be Next Dalai Lama? Tibetan Leader Set To Detail SuccessionChina's Rival Receives Anti-Ship Boost From USChina Research Ship Spotted on NATO's Doorstep 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Military Issues Update on China's Rocket Force Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chinese Rocket Force's increasingly capable missile fleet is a growing threat to U.S. bases and security partners in the Asia-Pacific, top Pentagon officials told lawmakers. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment outside of office hours. Why It Matters The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is responsible for China's missile and nuclear arsenal and is a key component of Beijing's efforts to surpass Washington as the region's leading military power. In some areas, the Rocket Force's capabilities have already surpassed those of the United States, such as with its so-called "carrier killer" hypersonic missiles. While these weapons remain untested in combat, they could potentially keep American forces at bay in a wartime scenario. What To Know "The PLA's Rocket Force (PLARF) is advancing its long-term modernization plans to enhance its strategic deterrence capabilities," read a written testimony by U.S. Air Force and Space Force leadership prepared for a Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing. China's missile arsenal is estimated to include 400 ground-launched cruise missiles capable of reaching anywhere within the so-called First Island Chain, a stretch of islands from Japan to Indonesia that Washington considers crucial for containing China's navy in the event of a conflict, such as one over Beijing-claimed Taiwan. A DF-17 missile on display during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019. A DF-17 missile on display during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images China is also believed to field 1,300 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can strike targets even further afield, threatening the Second Island Chain, which includes U.S. military bases in Guam. Another 500 medium-range missiles put parts of Alaska and U.S.-allied Australia within range, while 900 short-range ballistic missiles could easily cross the narrow Taiwan Strait to strike the self-ruled democracy. The Rocket Force's arsenal also includes 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere in the world. China's advances in hypersonic missile technology—difficult-to-intercept missiles that travel at over five times the speed of sound—remain a major concern for the Pentagon. In particular, the Dong Feng-17 hypersonic missile may increasingly replace older missile systems and could target foreign bases and naval assets in the Western Pacific, the officials said. Though China still lags far behind the U.S. and Russia in warhead count, the country has rapidly expanded its nuclear forces in recent years, a buildup analysts attribute to President Xi Jinping's emphasis on nuclear deterrence against the U.S. The Department of Defense estimates China surpassed the 600-warhead mark last year and is on track to field over 1,000 operational warheads in the coming years, according to the statement. Beyond missile systems, officials also discussed "kill webs," or networks of sensors, satellites, and weapons that detect threats, share data, and coordinate military responses across air, land, sea, and space. What People Are Saying General Chance Saltzman, U.S. Space Force chief of space operations, during the hearing: "My biggest concern is that the kill web, as we call it, that the PRC [People's Republic of China] has put in place allows them to track and target at great range the rest of the joint force in all the other domains. "They've put a very capable ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] web together on orbit, and if we're going to protect the joint force, we have to be able to mitigate the effects that they're generating by that constellation. General David Allvin, U.S. Air Force chief of staff: "The PRC is rapidly modernizing its military with the clear intent to reshape the international order—to include nuclear breakout that includes unmatched deterrence capabilities." What Happens Next Citing "unprecedented threats to our homeland," Allvin outlined three top priorities for the service: to defend the homeland by detecting, tracking, and defeating threats; to provide a reliable, safe, and effective nuclear deterrent; and to project power globally—either independently or as part of a joint force. The Pentagon has requested $961.6 billion for its 2026 defense budget—an amount that, supporters note, is roughly half the proportion of the U.S.'s GDP that defense spending consumed during the height of the Cold War.
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
NZ diplomats say China downplayed nuclear-capable missile test
Beijing's missile launch in September was its first over international waters in more than 40 years. (Chinese People's Liberation Army/AFP pic) SYDNEY : China tried to mislead foreign governments in 2024 by playing down the importance of a nuclear-capable missile test over the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand diplomats privately warned in documents obtained by AFP. Beijing sent shivers through the South Pacific in September 2024, when its elite Rocket Force fired a dummy warhead into the high seas near French Polynesia. A tranche of classified government briefing notes obtained by AFP shows deep concern within the New Zealand government in the wake of the surprise launch, which China shrugged off as 'routine'. It was China's first long-range missile launch over international waters in more than 40 years, the papers confirmed, serving as a blunt reminder of Beijing's potent nuclear-strike capabilities. 'We are concerned that China is characterising this as a 'routine test',' senior diplomats wrote in a memo to New Zealand's foreign affairs minister. 'It is not routine: China has not conducted this type of long-range missile test in over 40 years. 'We do not want to see this test repeated.' China's military played down the test as a 'legitimate and routine arrangement for military training'. Behind the scenes, New Zealand diplomats privately decried China's 'mischaracterisation'. 'As this is the first time that China has undertaken such an action in the Pacific in several decades, it is a significant and concerning development,' they wrote in one of the briefing documents. AFP applied to access the heavily redacted documents – written between September and October last year – under New Zealand's Official Information Act. They were classified as 'Restricted', which protects government information with diplomatic or national security implications. Nuclear scars China has been seeking to cement its presence in the strategically important South Pacific. (AP pic) China has been seeking to cement its presence in the strategically important South Pacific, showering developing island nations with new hospitals, freshly paved roads, and gleaming sports stadiums. But rarely has it so obviously flexed its military might in the region, where the US, Australia and New Zealand have long been the security partners of choice. 'We have again asked China why it conducted the test at this time, and why it chose to terminate the missile test in the South Pacific,' New Zealand diplomats wrote. China's Rocket Force launched the intercontinental ballistic missile with little warning on Sept 25, 2024. Photos released by China showed a projectile streaking into the sky from a secret location atop a billowing plume of smoke. It appeared to be one of China's advanced Dong Feng-31 missiles, analysts said, a weapon capable of delivering a thermonuclear warhead. The long-range missile splashed into a patch of ocean long designated a nuclear-free zone under an international treaty. Pacific island nations remain deeply scarred by the nuclear tests that shook the region in the decades following World War II. 'This is the first time that we are aware of a test of a nuclear-capable missile terminating within the zone since its establishment in 1986,' the New Zealand diplomats wrote. Forceful reminder China alerted the US, the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand before the test. But there was only a vague indication of what it would do, according to a separate batch of Australian government documents obtained by AFP. 'Beijing advised us of a planned activity the evening prior to the launch, but specific details were not forthcoming,' Australian defence officials wrote in November last year. Pacific island nations, however, were not provided with advance notice of the launch, New Zealand diplomats noted. Following the launch, Japan publicly voiced 'serious concern', Australia said the test risked 'destabilising' the South Pacific, and Fiji urged 'respect for our region'. Pacific nation Kiribati, one of China's warmest friends in the region, said the South Pacific Ocean should not be a proving ground for jostling big powers. 'The high seas in the Pacific are not isolated pockets of oceans… we appeal to all countries involved in weapon testing to stop these acts to maintain world peace and stability,' read a government statement at the time. China foreign policy expert Nicholas Khoo said the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test was particularly significant because it took place in the South Pacific. 'Since 1980, China's ICBM tests have taken place within Chinese territory,' he told AFP. 'The test is a reminder to regional states that China is a 'full spectrum' power that has economic and military power. It is a peer with the US.' Harvard University researcher Hui Zhang said it was a forceful reminder of China's nuclear strength. 'The test shows that the Rocket Force has an operational and credible nuclear force that can help ensure China's ability to maintain a strong nuclear deterrent,' he wrote last year for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 'The rare public ICBM test seems to have been specifically aimed at dissuading Washington from using nuclear weapons in a potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait.' China's ministry of foreign affairs said that the 'facts are clear and no one has been misled'. 'The missile test is a routine part of annual military training, in compliance with international law and international norms,' it said in a statement.
HKFP
22-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
China downplayed nuclear-capable missile test, classified New Zealand gov't papers show
China tried to mislead foreign governments in 2024 by playing down the importance of a nuclear-capable missile test over the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand diplomats privately warned in documents obtained by AFP. Beijing sent shivers through the South Pacific in September 2024, when its elite Rocket Force fired a dummy warhead into the high seas near French Polynesia. A tranche of classified government briefing notes obtained by AFP shows deep concern within the New Zealand government in the wake of the surprise launch, which China shrugged off as 'routine'. It was China's first long-range missile launch over international waters in more than 40 years, the papers confirmed, serving as a blunt reminder of Beijing's potent nuclear-strike capabilities. 'We are concerned that China is characterising this as a 'routine test',' senior diplomats wrote in a memo to New Zealand's foreign affairs minister. 'It is not routine: China has not conducted this type of long-range missile test in over 40 years. 'We do not want to see this test repeated.' China's military played down the test as a 'legitimate and routine arrangement for military training'. Behind the scenes, New Zealand diplomats privately decried China's 'mischaracterisation'. 'As this is the first time that China has undertaken such an action in the Pacific in several decades, it is a significant and concerning development,' they wrote in one of the briefing documents. AFP applied to access the heavily redacted documents — written between September and October last year — under New Zealand's Official Information Act. They were classified as 'Restricted', which protects government information with diplomatic or national security implications. Nuclear scars China has been seeking to cement its presence in the strategically important South Pacific, showering developing island nations with new hospitals, freshly paved roads, and gleaming sports stadiums. But rarely has it so obviously flexed its military might in the region, where the United States, Australia and New Zealand have long been the security partners of choice. 'We have again asked China why it conducted the test at this time, and why it chose to terminate the missile test in the South Pacific,' New Zealand diplomats wrote. China's Rocket Force launched the intercontinental ballistic missile with little warning on September 25, 2024. Photos released by China showed a projectile streaking into the sky from a secret location atop a billowing plume of smoke. It appeared to be one of China's advanced Dong Feng-31 missiles, analysts said, a weapon capable of delivering a thermonuclear warhead. The long-range missile splashed into a patch of ocean long designated a nuclear-free zone under an international treaty. Pacific island nations remain deeply scarred by the nuclear tests that shook the region in the decades following World War II. 'This is the first time that we are aware of a test of a nuclear-capable missile terminating within the zone since its establishment in 1986,' the New Zealand diplomats wrote. Forceful reminder China alerted the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand before the test. But there was only a vague indication of what it would do, according to a separate batch of Australian government documents obtained by AFP. 'Beijing advised us of a planned activity the evening prior to the launch, but specific details were not forthcoming,' Australian defence officials wrote in November last year. Pacific island nations, however, were not provided with advance notice of the launch, New Zealand diplomats noted. Following the launch, Japan publicly voiced 'serious concern', Australia said the test risked 'destabilising' the South Pacific, and Fiji urged 'respect for our region'. Pacific nation Kiribati, one of China's warmest friends in the region, said the South Pacific Ocean should not be a proving ground for jostling big powers. 'The high seas in the Pacific are not isolated pockets of oceans… we appeal to all countries involved in weapon testing to stop these acts to maintain world peace and stability,' read a government statement at the time. China foreign policy expert Nicholas Khoo said the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test was particularly significant because it took place in the South Pacific. 'Since 1980, China's ICBM tests have taken place within Chinese territory,' he told AFP. 'The test is a reminder to regional states that China is a 'full spectrum' power that has economic and military power. It is a peer with the US.' Harvard University researcher Hui Zhang said it was a forceful reminder of China's nuclear strength. 'The test shows that the Rocket Force has an operational and credible nuclear force that can help ensure China's ability to maintain a strong nuclear deterrent,' he wrote last year for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 'The rare public ICBM test seems to have been specifically aimed at dissuading Washington from using nuclear weapons in a potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait.' China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the 'facts are clear and no one has been misled'. 'The missile test is a routine part of annual military training, in compliance with international law and international norms,' it said in a statement.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Not Routine': China ‘mischaracterised' 2024 Pacific missile test; New Zealand classified memo revealed
AI image In a move that quietly unsettled the South Pacific, China launched a nuclear-capable missile over international waters near French Polynesia in September 2024 — its first such test in over four decades. While Beijing publicly called it 'routine military training', internal documents from New Zealand's government paint a very different picture. According to classified diplomatic memos obtained by AFP, New Zealand officials warned that China misled foreign governments by downplaying the launch. 'It is not routine,' senior diplomats wrote in a note to the foreign affairs minister, pointing out that China had not carried out this type of long-range missile test since the early 1980s. 'We do not want to see this test repeated,' the note added. New Zealand diplomats further expressed frustration at China's 'mischaracterisation' of the launch. They said the move marked a troubling shift, with Beijing flexing military power in a region where it had previously focused on diplomacy, aid, and infrastructure. The missile, believed to be an advanced Dong Feng-31, was fired by China's Rocket Force and landed in a section of the ocean that has been part of a nuclear-free zone since 1986. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo While the US, UK, France, Australia, and New Zealand were given vague advance notice, Pacific Island nations — where nuclear testing has left deep scars — were not informed. This lack of transparency drew strong responses across the region. Fiji urged respect for the Pacific, Australia called the test destabilising, and Japan expressed serious concern. Even Kiribati, one of China's closest allies in the Pacific, said the ocean should not be used as a weapons testing zone. Also read: China adding 100 nuclear warheads annually: SIPRI Analysts say the missile test was a clear message to the West. Harvard's Hui Zhang wrote that it served as a warning to Washington about China's nuclear deterrence, especially in the context of rising tensions over Taiwan. 'The test shows that the Rocket Force has an operational and credible nuclear force that can help ensure China's ability to maintain a strong nuclear deterrent,' he wrote in 2024 for the Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists.
