New missile: more mobile deterrent

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has improved its strategic deterrence capability, thanks to the service of a new missile.

The DF-31AG, an enhanced version of the DF-31A intercontinental ballistic missile, is a new type of solid-fuel, road-mobile missile that can be launched from an eight-axle vehicle that also transports the missiles, according to an article published on Thursday by an online outlet run by PLA Daily, the military's flagship newspaper.

Compared with its predecessors, the DF-31 and DF-31A, the new missile features better mobility and survivability, the article said, without giving further details.

Before the arrival of the DF-31AG, the DF-31A was the PLA's newest intercontinental ballistic missile known to the public.

The DF-31AG was first viewed by the public at a field parade on Sunday morning at the PLA's Zhurihe Training Base in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The parade was held to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which was on Tuesday. The PLA used the occasion to display many new weapons, such as the J-20 stealth fighter jet and HQ-22 air defense missile.

The military said the new ballistic missile and the older DF-31A, which also appeared in Sunday's parade, represent China's status as a world power and the country's defense prowess. It called them "trump cards" in strategic deterrence.

Footage of the DF-31AG in the parade shows it is carried by an integrated missile vehicle known as a transporter-erector-launcher, and the bottom of the launch tube has been equipped with a buffer device. By comparison, the DF-31A is still mounted on an older, two-part vehicle and has no buffer attached to its launch tube.

The upgrades indicate that the DF-31AG is capable of making off-road launch in most kinds of terrain, with a very short preparation time, said Yang Chengjun, a military observer close to China's missile programs.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 08/09/2017 page3)