China Successfully Launches Intercontinental Ballistic Missile into Pacific Ocean

A statement released on the website of the Ministry of National Defense announced that the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a simulated warhead into the relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean and landed correctly in the pre-determined sea area.

The statement emphasized that the missile launch was a “routine procedure” for annual military training, complied with international law and practice, and was not targeted at any specific country or target.

Xinhua News Agency reported that China had notified relevant countries in advance, but did not specify the missile’s flight path or the specific location where it landed on the high seas.

International Community Expresses Concern Over Increased Military Activity in China

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hayashi Masaashi, stated that Japan believes that China has increased its military activity, including the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which is a matter of great concern to Japan and the international community.

Chinese military supporters pointed out that the People’s Liberation Army’s Liaoning fleet, including a Type 055, a comprehensive supply ship and three Type 052D destroyers, had sailed at full speed towards the waters of the Eastern Pacific.

Missile Launch Details and Specifications

The Chinese military has not announced the specific model of the missile. However, Hong Kong military commentator Leung Kwok-leung suggested that the foreign open-source intelligence gathering tool OSINTer judged the flight path and point of impact drawn based on public airspace warnings and concluded that it should be a Dongfeng-41A intercontinental missile launched from a mobile launcher in Guangxi.

The missile flew through the airspace of Bashi Channel and Guam, and landed in the high seas east of Polynesia in Oceania, with a range of more than 12,000 kilometers.

China’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Capabilities

China began using DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2017. The Rocket Force currently has three land-launched intercontinental missiles, including the “Dongfeng-31”, with a maximum range of 12,000 kilometers; the “Dongfeng-41”, with a maximum range of 14,000 kilometers and up to 10 nuclear warheads; and the “Dongfeng-5B/C”, a heavy-duty liquid-fueled, silo-launched intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 15,000 kilometers.