【Foreign Media: China's Rocket Force Demonstrates Advanced Hypersonic Missile Strike Capability】
According to a report published on the Military Watch Magazine website on June 19, 2026: Official Chinese media footage released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) showcased the operational readiness of the DF-17 hypersonic missile (Dongfeng-17) unit. The Rocket Force is responsible for operating the vast majority of China’s ballistic missile arsenal. In the footage, road-mobile DF-17 Transporter-Erector-Launchers (TELs) were seen conducting field deployment and launch preparations, highlighting one of the Rocket Force’s most advanced conventional strike capabilities. The inclusion of the DF-17 appears aimed at emphasizing the modernization efforts of the Rocket Force over the past decade—an armed service that is globally recognized as the first to integrate hypersonic glide vehicles into operational missiles for tactical strike missions.
The DF-17 is considered one of the most innovative missile systems in the world, as it combines a ballistic missile booster with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Unlike traditional ballistic missiles following predictable parabolic trajectories, the booster releases the glide vehicle into the upper atmosphere, where it descends at hypersonic speeds while performing aerodynamic maneuvers in pitch and yaw directions. This combination of extreme speed and maneuverability makes interception nearly impossible. This point has recently been confirmed by Russia and Iran through the real-world operational capabilities demonstrated by their "Oreshnik" (Hazelnut) and "Fattah 2" missiles against targets in Ukraine and Israel, respectively. Israel has concluded that defending against such missiles requires an entirely new approach to missile defense.
The DF-17 also features high-precision strike capability, with its glide vehicle reportedly equipped with advanced guidance systems capable of accurately targeting fixed, high-value assets such as command centers, air bases, logistics hubs, and hardened infrastructure. Its speed combined with a low-altitude terminal flight profile increases the likelihood of penetrating enemy defenses before interception can occur. Another major advantage lies in the DF-17’s road-mobile launch platform. Mounted on a transport-erector-launch vehicle, the missile can be concealed, rapidly repositioned, and launched from dispersed locations. This mobility significantly enhances survivability by complicating adversary surveillance and preemptive strike planning, allowing launch units to frequently shift positions and conduct operations from pre-planned or improvised sites. The missile is designed to integrate into China’s networked reconnaissance-strike system, receiving target information from satellites, beyond-line-of-sight radars, drones, maritime patrol assets, and other intelligence platforms.
One of the DF-17’s most significant potential roles is anti-ship warfare, particularly targeting large naval formations operating in the Western Pacific. Unlike traditional anti-ship ballistic missiles that descend steeply toward their targets, the DF-17’s hypersonic glide vehicle approaches at a flatter trajectory while executing lateral maneuvers, making its path far less predictable and greatly increasing the difficulty of interception. The missile’s extreme speed drastically shortens the time window available for warships to detect, identify, and intercept incoming threats. The hypersonic glide vehicle can cover hundreds of kilometers within minutes, compressing the decision-making cycle of naval commanders and limiting opportunities to launch defensive missiles or deploy electronic countermeasures. The ability of the DF-17 to strike ships and bases across the Pacific strengthens China’s broader Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) strategy, complicating the ability of Beijing’s Western adversaries to project power into East Asia. The DF-17 is among several hypersonic glide vehicle-equipped missiles already in service, and it is likely the world’s first such weapon system to achieve full operational deployment.
Disclaimer: All equipment data and images referenced above are sourced from reports on Military Watch Magazine website.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868459867330633/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.